hw410 U9 Finalproject

KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Management and Prevention
Stress
Management and
Prevention
1
Program Resource
Guide
KA P L A N U N I V E R S I T Y
Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide
By
Jennifer Lacombe
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
April 6, 2015
Table of Contents
UNIT
THE
NATU RE
OF
STRESS
Information to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.................. 4
Resources:
Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
......... 4
Tools:
Journal
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
....... 8
UNIT
THE
PHYSIO LOGY
OF
STRESS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Resources: Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Tools:
Journal
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 13
UNIT
PSYCHOLOGY
OF
STRESS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Resources: Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Tools:
Journal
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 23
UNIT
PERSONAL ITY
TRAITS
AND
THE
HUM AN
SPIRITUAL ITY
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Resources:
Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 25
Tools: Journal Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
UNIT
DEAL ING
WITH
STRESS:
COPING
STRATE GIES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Resources: Pamphlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tools:
Journal
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 34
UNIT
AND
REL AXATIO N
M ENTAL
TECHI QUES
1 :
BREATHI NG ,
M EDITATI ON,
IM AGE RY
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Resources:
Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 39
Tools: Journal Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
UNIT
NUTRITI ON
AND
STRESS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Resources:
Web
site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 49
Tools:
Journal
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 50
UNIT
PHYSIC AL
EXERCISE
AND
ACTIV ITY
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Resources:
Web
site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 54
Tools:
Journal
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 54
UNIT
AND
APPLYING
PREVE NTIO N
STRESS:
CRITICAL
TO
PROF ESSI ONAL
YOUR
ISSUES
F OR
M ANAGEM EN T
L IF E
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Resources: Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Tools: Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
ADDITI ONAL
INF ORM ATIO N.
RESOU RCES.
.6 3
6 4
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1
Unit
Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Stress comes in many forms and is not always bad.
Stress is a perceived threat (real or imagined) to the mind, body, spirit, or
emotion. Stress comes in three forms; eustress (good stress), neustress (neutral
stress), and distress (bad stress). These stresses come from three stressor types;
bio-ecological, psycho-intrapersonal, and social influences (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: The Yerkes-Dodson Principle explains that we need

balance between eustress and distress to have maximum performance and low
illness. Being on either side of the midpoint of Yerkes-Dodson Principles graph
will result in lower performance and increased illness (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is the three stage
system that Selye outlines that happens to us during prolong stress. The 1 st
stage is the alarm reaction where the actual fight or flight response is seen.
Stage 2 is the stage of resistance where the body tries to maintain homeostasis.
Stage 3 is the stage of exhaustion where one or more organs start to shut down
because of lack of homeostasis (Seaward, 2008).
Resources: Exercises:
HW410: Unit 1 Exercises
EXERCISE
1.2
My Health Philosophy
Life is a kaleidoscope of the infinite variety. No two things are the same. Everyones life is
individual.
--Paramahansa Yogananda
We all have philosophies. Philosophies are nothing more than our opinions, dressed up with an
introduction and conclusiona way to present to someone, even ourselves, what we really think
about some topic or ideal. We have philosophies on everythingthe types of music we like and
listen to, the state of world affairs, and even the foods we eat at restaurants.
Now its time to examine your philosophy about your health. Based on what you already know,
and perhaps have been taught or exposed to, define as best you can what the words health and
wellness mean to you. After having done this, ask yourself why health is so important and write
a few lines about this.
Given the premise that every issue is a health issue, identify some seemingly non-health issues
such as the global economy, deforestation, or TV programming. See if you can discover the
connection between these issues and your state of well-being. How is your state of health
influenced by stress? Finally, where do you see yourself twenty-five years from now? If you were
to continue your current lifestyle for the next three to four decades, how do you see yourself at
that point in the future? Your health philosophy guides your state of health. What is your health
philosophy? What has influenced your philosophy up to now (e.g., parents, teachers, friends,
books)? Be specific. Take some time to write it down here now. If you need additional space to
write, use the extra pages provided at the back of this book.
My Health Philosophy
Health and wellness is the state of balance between mind, body, and spirit. All parts of
the body are connected in total well-being. Health is so important because you must be healthy
to live a well enjoyed life. Though having some diseases or illnesses can make you stronger as a
person, being healthy makes life worth living. I have my health problems, however, I am working
on getting healthier. The healthier I get the better I feel about myself. I also am able to deal with
the world around me much better.
Global economy, deforestation, and TV programming all are connected to how stressed
you become. For my well-being, I cannot stress about the things I cannot change. Worrying and
stressing about these things would spin my life out of control. I cannot let myself become that
stressed again. I have to accept that I cannot stress or change everything and just let things go.
When I get stressed, especially with work, my shoulders tense up and my back and legs
hurt. I also get headaches and nauseas when I get really stress. I must not allow myself to get
so stressed because I get physical pain. I must remember to let stress go so the build-up and
cause me pain.
In twenty-five years, I hope to be in a job that I love helping people become healthier. I
want to be in the healthiest condition myself also. I want to be at my ideal weight and able to do
all the activities that I love to do without the barriers of knee pain. Im in the process of
changing my lifestyle to a better and healthier one. If I did not make these changes, I would
probably be dead in another three or four decades or have many serious health problems. I want
to make my life healthier so that I can be around for a long time. I want to make sure I am able
to do the things that I love to do as long as I can.
My health philosophy is engaging in exercise and eating a healthy diet. Balance lifes
stresses with peace of mind. All health problems can be prevented, reversed, or at least treated
with a healthy lifestyle that must be continually worked on for your whole life. My philosophy
comes for what I am learning with my health and wellness degree here at Kaplan. Also my best
friend was the one that got me started on my health journey. He pointed out how much better
my life could be if I started to take care of myself. Also I came to the realization after having my
gallbladder out that I need to make changes if I wanted to live a healthy life and not spiral into
major diseases. I started doing a lot of reading. No book really stands out but they were on
eating a vegetarian lifestyle. I needed this research and reading to deal with the stress of not
being able to eat the same diet I use too. Plus I wanted to be able to do all the fun things my
best friend does and being healthy is a big part of doing these things.
EXERCISE
1.6
The Wellness Paradigm
Revisited
Ageless wisdom tells us that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and that all parts
must be looked at equally as part of the whole. In terms of health and wellness, the whole is
made up of four components: mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Additionally, ageless wisdom
suggests that holistic wellness is composed of the integration, balance, and harmony of these
four componentsthat each aspect of our being is so connected to the other three that no
separations exist. Looking at one component say, our physical healthmerits paying attention
to the other three because of the dynamic interconnectedness of the mind, body, spirit, and
emotions. What might seem like common sense has not always been so well accepted in
American culture. For over three hundred years, the Western mind has focused on the physical
aspects of health, leaving the other three components in the shadows. Beginning in the early
1960s, the mental, emotional, and spiritual components of health were looked at with somewhat
distant interest; only in the past decade has the interconnection of mind, body, and spirit gained
respect (and popularity) in Western science. It has been said recently that every issue is a health
issue, meaning that issues such as economic downswings, political instability, rainforest
depletion, and moral bankruptcy all ultimately affect our health. To recognize our own health
status, we must remind ourselves that we are more than just our physical bodies. We must come
to appreciate the true integration, balance, and harmony of mind, body, spirit, and emotions.
Here are some questions to ponder as you explore your own health philosophy, values, and
beliefs. If you need additional space to write, use the extra pages provided at the back of the
book.
1. Given the dynamics of the wellness paradigm, how does it compare with the common notion
that health is the absence of disease?
Given the dynamics of the wellness paradigm, health is not just the absence of
disease. Being without physical disease is just one part of being healthy. You must have
peace of mind, balance of emotion, and lightness of spirit as well as lack of physical disease.
2. What is your definition of wellness? Do you believe that the whole is greater than the sum of
the parts? Can you think of an example in music, politics, or the arts that demonstrates this
ageless wisdom?
My definition of wellness is the balance between mind, emotion, spirit, and physical
health. The whole is greater than the sum of all the parts of the body because everything is
connected. When treating a physical ailment it is also important to look at the other parts of
the body to achieve total wellness. When looking at a photo, there is one part that makes it
special. However, the surrounding area plays to why that part makes it special. The emotion
seen in a good photo can bring all the parts of the photo together to make it so special.
3. What do you think it means to be an integrated person, to enjoy balance and harmony
among your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects? Do you feel this within
yourself? If not, why not? Can you identify which aspect(s) you feel are not in balance?
Being an integrated person means that the person is able to balance all parts of their
life most of the time. This person is able to confront and resolve conflict with ease. All the
parts of this persons body do not vary much from their balance point. Im working on being
an integrated person, however, I still have a lot of work to do. I still have to get my weight to
an ideal range and work on reducing my stress. Most of my life is an emotional rollercoaster.
It is coming to a balancing line, but still there are wide swings. Im on medication because of
depression and to be an integrated person, I must get off this medicine. I have to continue
with my healthy eating plan and exercise plan.
1.7
College Students Daily

Stressors Survey
EXERCISE
Its a safe bet that you will hear the expression real world more than once while attending
collegethe real world being the non-college world of long hours, hard work, and umpteen
responsibilities. Years ago, the college experience was considered a luxury of the wealthy. For
many rich kids, going to college was like taking a four-year vacation during which worldly
responsibilities could be postponed, with the promise of a great job waiting after graduation.
Times have changed since those Ivy League days of long ago. Going to college may not be the
same thing as working on Wall Street or the emergency room of a local hospital, but college
constitutes its own real world nonetheless. Being a college student comes with its own list of
stressors, big and small. The following worksheet invites you to rank these typical daily student
stressors (from 1 being low stress to 5 being high stress). In doing so, you take the first step in
recognizing what issues need to be addressed in your current life situation.
Part I: How do these typical college student stressors rank in your life?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Coping with roommates,

living conditions
Balancing schoolwork with
job hours
Making ends meet financially
Academic load (credits,
exams, papers)
Social needs (friends, family,
etc.)
Health status, health issues
Food, body image, and
weight issues
Transportation (car, traffic,
gas, tickets)
Parental issues, child care
issues, etc.
Girlfriend, boyfriend issues
LOW
1
HIGH
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
11.
12.
Girlfriend, boyfriend issues

Purpose-in-life issues
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
Part II: Please list any and all additional daily or weekly stressors and rank these as well.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Balancing work, school, and

home life
Helping out family
Work schedule
Finding time for myself
Relationships with friends
Being a parent
House work
Health issues
Finances
Being married
LOW
1
HIGH
5
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Part III: Additional comments you wish to make:

I work hard at trying to balance the stressors in my life. I work on not letting things get
to me and have a few different coping mechanisms. Though I have some medium high stress in
my life, I try to let it go and not take over my life.
(Seaward, 2011)
Tools: Journal Writing:
HW410: Unit 1 Journal Writing Assignment

EXERCISE
1.1 Are You Stressed?
Although there is no definitive survey composed of 20 questions to determine if you are stressed
or burnt out or just exactly how stressed you really are, questionnaires do help increase
awareness that, indeed, there may be a problem in one or more areas of your life. The following
is an example of a simple stress inventory to help you determine the level of stress in your life.
Read each statement, and then circle either the word Agree or Disagree. Then count the number
of "Agree" points (one per question) and use the Stress Level Key to determine your personal
stress level.
Statement:
Agree
1. I have a hard time falling asleep at night.

2. I tend to suffer from tension and/or migraine headaches.
3. I find myself thinking about finances and making ends meet.
4 .I wish I could find more to laugh and smile about each day.
5. More often than not, I skip breakfast or lunch to get things done.
6. If I could change my job situation, I would.
7. I wish I had more personal time for leisure pursuits.
8. I have lost a good friend or family member recently.
9. I am unhappy in my relationship or am recently divorced.
10. I haven't had a quality vacation in a long time.
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
I wish that my life had a clear meaning and purpose.

I tend to eat more than three meals a week outside the home.
I tend to suffer from chronic pain.
I don't have a strong group of friends to whom I can turn.
I don't exercise regularly (more than three times per week).
I am on prescribed medication for depression.
My sex life is very satisfying.
My family relationships are less than desirable.
Overall, my self-esteem can be rather low.
I spend no time each day dedicated to meditation or centering.
Stress Level Key

Less than 5 points
More than 5 points
More than 10 points
More than 15 points
You
You
You
You
have
have
have
have
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
a low level of stress and maintain good coping skills.

a moderate level of personal stress.
a high level of personal stress.
an exceptionally high level of stress.
Paramount Wellness Institute. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
EXERCISE
1.4
A Good Nights Sleep
Sleep is one of the basic human drives. Most health books dont talk much about it,
despite the fact that you spend over one-third of your life in that state. The fact is that
we tend to take the behavior of sleep for granted, unless, of course, we feel we dont
get enough of it. We are told that the average person sleeps six to eight hours a night,
with an occasional nap here and there. Truth be told, over half of Americans get much
less than this. Eight hours may be recommended, but it is not the norm. A poor
nights sleep cascades into a poor waking day. Over time, the results will ultimately affect
all aspects of health.
Whatever your sleep patterns were before you started college, chances are that
they have changed dramatically since then. By and large, the freedom connected with
college life tends to throw off sleep patterns. Instead of hitting the hay around 10 P.M.
or 11 P.M., you might not lay your head on the pillow until 1 A.M. or 2 A.M. On weekends
you may go to bed at sunrise, rather than waking up to see it. And let us not forget
the all-nighters that tend to become habit forming during midterm and final
exams.
Since the 1950s, scientists have been studying sleeping behaviors and sleeping
patterns in earnest. With over forty years of data collection, youd think they would
have some solid answers; the truth is, no one really knows why we sleep. There are all
kinds of theories about the need to have rest, but to date there seems to be a lack of
evidence as to what actually goes on during the night hours. Interestingly enough, we
do know what happens when we dont get enough sleep. Memory and motor coordination
fade rapidly, and performance, in all aspects, is greatly compromisedas many
a college student will attest to when pulling a series of all-nighters.
Describe your sleeping patterns. Are your sleep habits regular? Do you go to
bed and get up about the same time every day? How have your sleeping patterns
changed since you entered college? Do you make a habit of pulling all-nighters? Do
you have problems sleeping at night? Do you have a hard time getting up in the
morning? What are some of the patterns you see with your sleep?
10
My sleeping patterns rotate every seven days. My work schedule is seven nights on/seven
nights off. I work 9 pm to 7 am every other week. On the weeks I work, I sleep about 6.5 hours
a day. On weeks I am off, I sleep about 8 hours.
My sleep habits are fairly regular because I need to be up at certain times for my family,
work, and to make sure I have time to get things done. On my work weeks, I go to bed around
8:30 am and get up around 3 pm. On my weeks off, I go to be around 9 or 10 pm depending on
my classes and get up around 6 am. On Wednesdays, which are my switch over days, I usually
get a nap in the afternoon either to make up for not going to bed at 8:30 am after coming home
from work or so that I will make it to 8:30 am the next morning.
My sleeping patterns have not changed since starting college. I make sure that I get the
sleep I need. I also do not pull all-nighters. With the type of job I have, I need to have my sleep
so that I will not put anyones life in danger from miss filling a medication.
I have no problem getting to sleep at night or in the morning after work. Im usually
exhausted by the time I have to go to bed, so I have no trouble getting to sleep. Getting up in
another story. If I have had a hard night at work, I sometime dont want to get up after sleeping.
Being mentally exhausted makes me more tired than being physical exhausted, so sometime I
feel that I could use more sleep.
I have a set sleep pattern. I go to bed at the same time during the week either when Im
working or off. I get a little more sleep on my weeks off, but because of family responsibilities I
need to be up at a certain time when Im working, so I cannot sleep as long. Also I have to get
up to make sure that I get my school work done.
1.5
Personal Stress Inventory:

Top Ten Stressors
EXERCISE
Its time to take a personal inventory of your current stressorsthose issues, concerns,
situations, or challenges that trigger the fight-or-flight response in your body.
The first step to resolving any problem is learning to identify exactly what the problem
is. Take a moment to list the top ten issues that you are facing at the present moment.
Then place check marks in the columns to signify whether this stressor directly
affects one or more aspects of your health (mind, body, spirit, emotions). Take note of
how many of your stressors affect more than one aspect. Then, next to each stressor,
chronicle how long it has been a problem. Finally, check whether this stressor is one
that elicits some level of anger, fear, or both.
Stressor
Mental
Emotional
Work
Spiritual
Physical
X
11
Duration
of
Problem
On/off
Anger/Fear?
School
Relationship with
husband
Raising daughter
Relationship with
family
6
7
8
9
Physical health
Mental health
Finances
House work
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
10
Finding time for

myself
(Seaward, 2011)
X
X
X
X
X
12
14 years
A little
over a
year
Cycles
through
our
marriage
of 12
years.
Cycles
for the
last 8
years
8 years,
but more
stressful
the last 5
5 years
5 years
2 years
On/off
12 years
5 years
Fear
Both
Both
Both
Fear
Both
Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress
2
Unit
Key Learning Point: Stress, immunity, and disease are all inter-related. The
job of the immune system is to defend the body against infectious pathogens.
When the body is stressed, the immune system is too busy fixing the damage
from the stress response to fight off these disease causing pathogens and the
body becomes diseased (Sapolsky, 2004).
Key Learning Point: The body produces cortisol during the fight or flight
response to stress. During prolonged stress, the cortisol start to attack and
destroy white blood cells. In turn, this weakens and destroys the immune system
resulting in the person to be at higher risk of infection and disease (Seaward,
2008).
Key Learning Point: Stress related nervous system disorders include

tension and migraine headaches, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD),
bronchial asthma, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and coronary heart disease. It
has been found that 80% of physicians office visits are due to stress related
ailments (Seaward, 2008).
HW410: Unit 2 Exercise
2.2
Immediate, Intermediate, and

Prolonged Stress Effects
EXERCISE
As noted in Chapter 2, the stress response has immediate (seconds), intermediate
13
(minutes to hours), and prolonged (days) effects through which the symptoms of
physical stress can manifest. To reinforce your understanding of each phase of this
physiological process, please take a moment to reflect on how your body reacts to
stress through these three processes.
1. What do you feel when immediately threatened?
a. Tingling sensations
Yes
No
b. Sweating
Yes
No
c. Muscle tension (e.g., jaw muscles)
Yes
No
d. Rapid heart rate
Yes
No
e. Rapid breathing (or holding your breath)
Yes
No
f.
Yes
No
Rush of blood to your face and neck (blushing)
g. Other: Panic/anxiety
2. How would you best classify your bodys intermediate (within hours) response to stress?
a. Tension headache
Yes
No
b. Migraine headache
Yes
No
c. Sore neck and shoulders
Yes
No
d. Sore throat
Yes
No
e. Allergies
Yes
No
f.
Stomachache
Yes
No
g. GI tract problems
Yes
No
h. Other: Lower back pain

i.
Other: Tired
j.
Other: Emotional
3. What do you notice as long-term effects of prolonged stress (five to ten days)?
a. Cold or flu
Yes
No
b. Acne (broken-out face blemishes)
Yes
No
c. Herpes flare-up (around lips)
Yes
No
d. Menstrual period irregularities
Yes
No
e. Other: Continued fatigue

f.
Other: Continued back and shoulder pain/tension
g. Other: Continued emotional state; moody, sometime angry

(Seaward, 2011)
14

EXERCISE
2.1 Stress Physiology Review
First, read Chapter 2 in Managing Stress. Given the nature of the content (lots of left-brain
facts), you might want to reread it before starting this exercise. One reason why
experts in mind-body medicine think its a good idea to understand the physiology of
stress is that this knowledge helps with various relaxation skills, including mental imagery,
autogenic training, and biofeedback. Having this knowledge of how your bodys physiology works
during times of stress augments your ability to promote a deeper sense of relaxation and
healing. In this case, knowledge is power.
This hormone is released from the hypothalamus:
1. Corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)
This hormone is released from the pituitary:
1. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
This hormone is released from the thyroid:
1. Thyroxine
These hormones and catecholamines are released from the adrenal gland:
1. Glucocorticoids
2. Mineralocorticoids
3. Cortisol
4. Cortisone
These catecholamines are released from the neural endings:
1. Epinephrine (adrenaline)
2. Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
This hormone is associated with mood; a decrease is associated with depression:
1. Serotonin
This hormone is associated with a good nights sleep:
1. Melatonin
15
EXERCISE
3.1 Physical Symptoms
Questionnaire
Please look over this list of stress-related symptoms and circle how often they have
occurred in the past week, how severe they seemed to you, and how long they lasted.
Then reflect on the past weeks workload and see whether you notice any connection
between your stress levels and possible stress-related symptoms.
How Often?
(Number of days
in the past week)
How Severe?
(1 = mild;
5 = severe)
How Long?
(1 = 1 hour;
5 = all day)
2. Migraine headache
01234567
12345
12345
3. Muscle tension (neck and/or shoulders)
01234567
12345
12345
4. Muscle tension (lower back)
01234567
12345
12345
5. Joint pain
01234567
12345
12345
6. Cold
01234567
12345
12345
7. Flu
01234567
12345
12345
8. Stomachache
01234567
12345
12345
9. Stomach/abdominal bloating/distention/gas
01234567
12345
12345
10. Diarrhea
01234567
12345
12345
11. Constipation
01234567
12345
12345
12. Ulcer flare-up
01234567
12345
12345
13. Asthma attack
01234567
12345
12345
14. Allergies
01234567
12345
12345
15. Canker/cold sores
01234567
12345
12345
16. Dizzy spells
01234567
12345
12345
17. Heart palpitations (racing heart)
01234567
12345
12345
18. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD)
01234567
12345
12345
19. Insomnia
01234567
12345
12345
20. Nightmares
01234567
12345
12345
21. Fatigue
01234567
12345
12345
22. Hemorrhoids
01234567
12345
12345
23. Pimples/acne
01234567
12345
12345
24. Cramps
01234567
12345
12345
25. Frequent accidents
01234567
12345
12345
26. Other
01234567
12345
12345
1. Tension headache
01234567
12345
12345
(Please specify: _______________________)

Score: Look over this entire list. Do you observe any patterns or relationships between
your stress levels and your physical health? A value over 30 points most likely indicates a stressrelated health problem. If it seems to you that these symptoms are related to undue stress, they
16
probably are. Although medical treatment is advocated when necessary, the regular use of
relaxation techniques may lessen the intensity, frequency, and duration of these episodes.
Comments:
By looking at the results of this questionnaire, I see that when I get stressed it tires me
out the most, followed by muscles becoming tense and hurting, example back, shoulder, and
knee pain. I do not get migraine type headaches that often, but they usually happen when I am
overly stress. This also leads to TMJD and dizziness. My calculated stress value from this
questionnaire is 83, which according from the statement above indicates a stress-related health
problem.
I work on not letting stress get to me or to build. I see that more problems happen when
I have repeated days of stress.
I believe this is because I work seven days straight and even though I take time to unwind each
day, the stress builds in my body. I must learn to not let stressors bother me and to let things go
before they build and cause bigger problems.
EXERCISE
3.3
My Health Profile
Health is so much more than the optimal functioning of our physical bodies. By and large,
however, the physical body is what people focus on when they talk about health (weight, skin,
hair, sight, hearing, etc.). To fully understand the mind-body-spirit connection, you must realize
that the body is actually the endpoint where unresolved issues of mind and spirit collect, not the
beginning. But if we were to start with the body and examine, from head to toe, our physical
makeup, perhaps we could use this as a stepping stone toward understanding this unique
relationship. Several aspects of our physical makeup, when looked at as a composite, tend to
give us a sound understanding of our physical health status. This journal theme invites you to
take some time to explore your overall physical health. Once you have compiled all your personal
health data, compare your values with the norms discussed in class, or in the book Health and
Wellness. If you have any questions regarding your profile, bring these to the attention of your
physician.
My Health Profile
Name: Jennifer Lacombe
Height: 5 foot 4 inches
Weight: 190 pounds
Age: 37 years old
Resting heart rate: 81 beats per minute
Target heart rate: between 91 and 128 beats per minute
Maximal heart rate: 183 beats per minute
Resting systolic blood pressure: 110 mmHg
Resting diastolic blood pressure: 78 mmHg
Total cholesterol: 171
HDL level: 36
LDL level: 112
Vision status: wears glasses/contacts
17
Dental status: excellent

Hearing status: excellent
3
Unit
Skin condition: good

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract: gallbladder removed, well-functioning GI tract
Tense areas, muscular: good muscle tone, tense areas in left shoulder and lower back/hip region
Reproductive system: POS, regular menses, normal PAP test, gave birth via C-section
Skin: fair skinned with many moles
Sinuses: clear, extra sinus opening in left ear
Other: on antidepressant; being treated for hypothyroidism
(Seaward, 2011)
Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Key Learning Point: There are five different mismanaged anger styles. The
first is the somatizer where there is no expression of anger which then shows up
in the body. The second is the self-punisher where feelings of guilt show up in
obsessive-compulsive behavior. The third is the exploder where anger is
expressed through acts of intimidation. The last is the underhander where acts
of anger are express through passive/aggressive behavior or revenge (Seaward,
2008)
Key Learning Point: People are made up of different stress personalities

which fall into two types; stress-prone and stress-resistant. The stress-prone
personalities include type A, type D, co-dependent, and helpless-hopeless.
18
Stress-resistant personalities include hardy, survivor, and type R. People can

have one or many of these different stress personalities. It is important to have a
balance between the stress-prone and stress-resistant personalities to have the
best mental health (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Depression can come from many different factors.
However, it is believed that there is a strong connection between depression
and unresolved or latent anger issues. Another part of depression is fear. To
combat both these parts, one must let go and feel emotions and not let them
build up inside. You must face your fears and have forgiveness for what is the
underlying reason for the anger. Only in these way you can make your way to
resolving your depression (Seaward, 2008).

EXERCISE
5.1
Anger Recognition Checklist

He who angers you, conquers you.
Elizabeth Kenny
The following is a quick exercise to help you understand how anger can surface in the course of a
normal working day and how you may mismanage it. Please place a check mark in front of any
of the following that apply to you when you get angry or feel frustrated or upset. After
completing this section, please refer to the bottom right hand corner to estimate, on average,
the number of episodes of anger you experience per day.
When I feel angry, my anger tends to surface in the following ways:
_x___ anxiety
_____ threatening others
_x___ depression
_____ buying things
_____ overeating
_____ frequent lateness
_____ starting to diet
_____ I never feel angry
_x___ trouble sleeping
_x___ clenched jaw muscles, TMJD
_x __ excessive sleeping
__ ___ boredom
_____ careless driving
_x___ nausea, vomiting
_x___ chronic fatigue
_____ skin problems
_____ abuse of alcohol/drugs
_x___ easy irritation
_____ exploding in rage
_____ sexual difficulty
_x___ cold withdrawal
_____ sexual apathy
_x __ tension headaches
_____ busy work (clean, straighten)
_____ migraine headaches
_____ sulking, whining
_____ use of sarcasm
_____ hitting, throwing things
_____ hostile joking
_____ complaining, whining
_____ being accident prone
_____ cutting/mutilating myself
_x___ guilt and self-blame
_____ insomnia
_____ smoking or drinking
_____ promiscuity
19
_____
_x___
_____
_____
_x___
high blood pressure

frequent nightmares
tendency to harp or nag
intellectualization
crying
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
helping others
other? ____________________
other? ____________________
swearing or name calling
upset stomach (e.g., gas, cramps,
IBS)
_x___ muscle tension (neck, lower back)
* My average number of anger episodes per day is _Five____________________.
EXERCISE
5.4 Anger: The Fight Response
Anger. The word itself brings to mind images of pounding fists, yelling, and smoke
pouring out of ones ears and nose. But anger is as natural a human emotion as love. It is
universal among all humans. Anger is a survival emotion; its the fight component of the fight-orflight response. We use anger to communicate our feelings, from impatience to rage. We employ
anger to communicate boundaries and defend values. Studies show that the average person has
fourteen to fifteen anger episodes a day. These often arise when our expectations are not met
upon demand. Although feeling angry is within the normal limits of human emotions, anger is
often mismanaged and misdirected. Unfortunately, we have been socialized to suppress our
feelings of anger. As a result, anger either tears us apart from the inside (ulcers) or promotes
intermittent eruptions of verbal or physical violence. In mostif not allcases, we do not deal
with our anger correctly.
Research has shown that there are four distinct ways in which people mismanage their anger:
1. Somatizers: People who never show any signs of anger and internalize their feelings until
eventually there is major bodily damage (e.g., ulcers, temporomandibular joint
dysfunction, colitis, or migraines).
2. Self-punishers: People who neither repress their anger nor explode, but rather deny
themselves a proper outlet for anger because of guilty feelings (e.g., eating, shopping).
3. Exploders: Individuals who erupt like a volcano and spread their temper like hot lava,
destroying anyone and anything in their path with either verbal or physical abuse.
4. Underhanders: Individuals who sabotage others or seek revenge through somewhat
socially acceptable behavior (e.g., sarcasm, appearing late for meetings).
Although we tend to employ all of these styles at one time or another, given the situation
and prevailing circumstances, we tend to rely on one dominant style of mismanaged anger. What
is your most dominant style? What situations provoke an anger response in you? How do you
deal with these feelings of anger?
My most dominant style of mismanaged anger is somatizers. I have the bad habit of
suppressing my emotions. Situations the provoke an anger response in me are people not doing
what they are supposed to do, like working instead of fooling around, people yelling at me for no
logical reason, and others taking credit for work that I have done. I deal with the anger of people
not doing what they are supposed to do by letting it go. I cannot change them, so why get
stressed about it. I just go along, do my own work, and know that if the others persons job
doesnt get done, it is their own fault. When people yell at me, I walk away. I then talk to them
once they have calmed down. The stress of not getting credit I deserve, I talk to the people that
are involved.
There are some ways to deal with anger correctly or perhaps even creatively. For
20
example, (1) take a time-out from the situation, followed by a time-in to resolve the issue, (2)
communicate your feelings diplomatically, (3) learn to think through your anger, (4) plan several
options to a situation, (5) lower personal expectations, and, most important, (6) learn to forgive
make past anger pass. What are some ways you can vent your anger creatively?
Most of the time when I get really angry and upset, I step away and cool down. Once I
cool down, I either talk to the person making me angry/stressed or I talk it out in my head if it is
not a person that is upsetting me. I talk things out with my friend and family members. I usually
feel better when I talk things out and bounce ideas off other people. I do a lot of self-talk to
work things out also. Taking a walk/hike helps when I have to do self-talk. The easiest thing I do
when Im anger or stressed is that I breathe it out. In with the good, out with the bad. Last of
all, I let it go. I have learned that I cannot let things build up. I have to let them go or I get
physical and mental sick.
Although anger is an emotion we all experience and should recognize when it arises, it is
crucial to manage it correctly. Sometimes just writing down on paper what gets you frustrated
can be the beginning of the resolution process. And anger must be fully resolved.
EXERCISE
5.7 Fear This!

We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Those immortal words, spoken by Roosevelt during the Great Depression, were crafted to
calm an unsettled American public. Fear, like anger, is a very normal human emotion. We all
experience itmore often than not, too many times in the course of our lives. Fear tends to be a
difficult emotion to resolve. Feelings of anxiety or fear can trickle down from the mind to the
body and wreak physical havoc from head to toe. Whereas anger tends to make one want to
defend turf and fight, fear makes one want to head for the hills and keep on running. The effects
of fear can be exhausting. In fact, the effects do exhaust the body to the point of disease,
illness, and sometimes death. Avoidance isnt the answer, but its often the technique used to
deal with fear.
Although many situations can promote anxiety, there are really only a handful of basic
human fears. They include the following:
Fear of failure: A loss of self-worth through an event or action that promotes feelings of
self-rejection
Fear of rejection: A loss of self-worth due to a perceived lack of acceptance from
someone whose respect is important to you
Fear of the unknown: A fear based on a lack of confidence or inner faith to act without
knowledge of future events or circumstances
Fear of dying: Anxiety produced by the pain, suffering, and uncertainty of death
Fear of isolation: A fear of loneliness (also known as abandonment); uncomfortable
feelings of solitude
Fear of loss of self-control: The conflict between the inability to determine factors that
are and are not controllable and the feeling of responsibility for total control that produces
anxiety
Many of these basic human fears are very closely related and overlap in some instances.
Some fears may dominate our way of thinking, whereas others dont relate to our lifestyles. Fear
of any kind, however, is very much related to our level of self-esteem. When we are down on
ourselves, we are most susceptible to situations or circumstances that we perceive as
frightening. Like anger, fears must be resolved. Resolution does not include ignoring or avoiding
21
the problem. It is not easy, and it takes work. When pursued properly, resolution is a continual
process with many fruitful outcomes.
Sometimes by looking at our stressors, we can associate them with specific fears. The
following questions may help you reflect on your current stressors that fall into this category.
1. Does one of the basic human fears tend to dominate your list of stressors? If so, why do
you suppose that is the case?
Fear of failure and rejection are the two basic human fears that tend to dominate my list
of stressors. I have a lot of pressure to do well and to be perfect. This started when I was
a child. My family expected me to do well and they were disappointed when I didnt do
well. This also ties into the fear of rejection. If I do not do well then Im afraid that those
care about me will reject me and leave. When I care about people, I get connected to
them. I feel that if I do something wrong they will not feel the same about me as I do
about them.
2. How do you usually deal with fear? Are you the type of person who hopes the
circumstances surrounding these fears will go away?
After many years of running from my fears, I now stand up to my fears. I do not let my
fears control me. I look at why I am afraid and think of ways that I can change the
circumstances so that I am not afraid anymore. I am not the type of person who hopes
the circumstances surrounding these fears go away anymore. I now take on my fears
head on and change the circumstances.
3. What are some practical ways that will help you deal with some of these major fears?
The practical ways that I use to deal with my fear of rejection and failure are with selftalk and acceptance. People will love me and I can love myself if I am not perfect. All I can
do is my best and if that is not good enough, then it is the other persons problem not
mine. Also if the person rejects me because I am not perfect, then they do not like me for
who I really am. I would be better off without them in my life, even if it hurts me to let
them go.
EXERCISE
5.9 Emotional Well-Being
Emotional well-being is best described as the ability to feel and express the entire range
of human emotions, and to control them, not be controlled by them. Sounds like a pretty tall
order, huh? Well, it doesnt have to be. What is the range of human emotions? Everything from
anger to love, and all thats in between. No emotion is excluded, meaning that it is perfectly all
right to feel angry, jealous, giddy, sad, depressed, light-hearted, and silly. All of these feelings
comprise the total human experience, the complete spectrum of human emotions.
22
A well-accepted theory suggests that early in our development, we spend the greatest
amount of time trying on and exploring emotions. But if you are like most people, you were told
at an early age one or more of the following expressions related to your behavior: Wipe that
smile off your face, Big boys dont cry, Dont you ever talk back to me, or Ill give you
something to cry about. Perhaps our parents had good intentions, or perhaps they were just at
wits end. Regardless of what
prompts such comments, most youngsters interpret the message altogether differently than
intended. Instead of relating such phrases only to the moment, most children take the meaning
of such messages globally and think it is never all right to laugh or to cry. If we hear these
messages enough, we begin to deny some of our feelings by stuffing them down into our
unconscious mindsonly to meet them head-on later in life.
The second half of the emotional well-being equation says that to be emotionally well, we
must control our feelings, not let them control us. Our feelings control us when we refuse to feel
and express them or when we linger too long in the moods of anger, anxiety, depression, grief,
or boredom. The result is stagnation, not dynamic living.
Here are some questions to ponder about your own sense of emotional wellbeing:
1. What is your least favorite emotion, one that you dont like to feel or perhaps would
rather avoid feeling? Can you explain why?
My least favorite emotion is grief. I think grief is stronger than normal sadness and
I feel physical pain when I feel this sad. When I feel grief, it feels like my heart is
breaking and my heart hurts. I understand that it is ok to feel grief, but I cannot let it to
go on for long because it is one of my triggers to my depression and anxiety.
2.
Combing through your memory, can you remember a time (or times) when you were told
or reminded not to act or feel a certain way (e.g., big boys dont cry), or were perhaps
even humiliated? Take a moment to describe this incident.
When I was younger, I was always told that I was the strong one. That I had to be
strong for everyone else and I was made to feel that I was not allowed to express my
emotions because I had to be strong for everyone else. I was made to feel that my
emotions did not matter. I was to suppress my emotions because since I was the strong
one, I was not allowed to let my emotions show. An example of this was when my great
grandmother died. I was not allowed to feel grief because I had to be there for my
grandmother and mother. I was not allowed to feel sad because I had to take care of my
grandmother and mother in their time of grief.
3.
What is your favorite emotion? Why? How often would you say you feel this emotion
throughout the course of a typical day?
I have two favorite emotions, love and appreciation. They are tied together. When
I feel appreciated I also feel love. When I feel loved and appreciated I feel good about
myself. When my daughter says I love you, Mommy it makes me feel that I could do
23
no wrong. When I get a thank you hug from my friend after I finish helping him stack
wood for the coming winter, Im on the top of the world. I feel loved most of the time
when I am with my daughter or around my best friend. I feel that over the top love and
appreciation maybe once or twice during the average day. I would like to feel it more,
but I will take what I can get.
4.
If you feel you may be the kind of person who doesnt acknowledge or express your
emotions, can you think of ways to change your behavior and begin to gain a sense of
emotional balance?
For years I was the kind of person that didnt acknowledge or express my
emotions. After having an emotional breakdown and bottoming out with severe
depression, I had to start counseling. After 5 years of counseling and doing a lot of inner
work, I can say that I am better at acknowledging and expressing my emotions. I do a
lot of self-talk and journaling. I also talk out my feelings more with best friend. I
recognize my feeling and ask myself why I feel that way. I have learned not to dwell on
the negative emotions and just let them go before they cause me trouble. I value the
positive and welcome those emotions into my life. I am still learning, however, I am in a
much better place now and feel that my emotions are starting to be more balanced and
not swing erratically.
(Seaward, 2011)

EXERCISE
4.1 The Psychology of Your Stress
The following questions are based on several theories from Chapter 4 to help you become
more aware of your perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors during episodes of stress:
1. In hindsight (because Freud said people are not aware at the time that they are doing it), do
you find that you use one or more defense mechanisms to protect your ego? Reflecting on your
behavior, which of the following do you see as common behaviors in your psychology of stress
profile?
a. Defensiveness (I didnt do it)
Yes
No
b.
Projection (She did it)
Yes
No
c.
Repression (I dont remember doing it)
Yes
No
d.
Displacement (He made me do it)
Yes
No
e.
Rationalization (Everyone does it)
Yes
No
24
f.
Humor (I can laugh about this now)
Yes
No
g.
Other _______________________________________________________
2. Carl Jung was adamant that we need to listen to the wisdom of our dreams. Please answer
the following questions based on Jungs theories related to stress.
a. Do you often remember your dreams?
Yes
No
b.
Do you make it a habit to try to understand your

dreams and dream symbols?
Yes
No
c.
Do you have any recurring dreams?
Yes
No
d.
Have you ever had a dream of an event that later

Yes
No
came to pass?
3. Kbler-Rosss stages of grieving are not just for cancer patients. These same stages occur for
the death of every unmet expectation. What recent expectation was unmet that brought you to
the door of the grieving process? What stage of Kbler-Rosss progression have you currently
reached with this stressor?
The recent expectation that was unmet that brought me to the door of the grieving
process was when I realize I would not be having another child. I always wanted two children
and my family and husband always expected that we would have at least two children. I had a
hard time getting pregnant with my daughter. When she was a year old, we started trying for a
second child. Once my daughter started school, I realized that I will probably not be able to get
pregnant again and that she would be an only child. This was the time I started the grieving
process. It was hard coming to accept that I was not going to have another child, but now that
Im in the acceptance phase of the grieving process, Im ok. I have a healthy and happy child
and Im thankful that I have her. I am no longer sad that I was not able to give her a sibling. Im
not giving up hope that I have another child, but it doesnt bother me anymore that I will
probably not have another one. If it happens, it happens. Im happy with my life and that is what
is important.
4. Refer to your Unit 1 Journal Writing Assignment, Exercise 1.5 (Personal Stress Inventory: Top
Ten Stressors). Please list your stressors as predominantly anger-based or fear-based
stressors.
Anger-Based Stressors
a. Mental health
b. Relationship with husband
c. Relationship with daughter
d. Relationship with family
Fear-Based Stressors
a. School
b. Relationship with husband
c. Relationship with daughter
d. Relationship with family
e. Physical health
25
f. Mental health
(Seaward, 2011)
4
Unit
Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Key Learning Point: In times of stress, some people seek answers within
their spirituality. The four pillars of human spiritually are relationships (internal
and external), values (personal value system), a meaningful purpose in life, and
the divine mystery. People can move back and forth between the different pillars
of spirituality depending on what they need to get through a stressful situation
(Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Jung's idea of the shadow is there are characteristics of
the personality that individuals keep hidden even from themselves which need
to be confronted in order to be whole. To face these characteristics, the person
must not be afraid of looking into themselves to find the answers that they need
(Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: To have a heathy self-esteem and in turn have a healthy
outlook on life, one must love, respect, and value themselves. You cannot
respect, value, or love someone else completely without having these feels for
yourself (Seaward, 2008).
26

EXERCISE
7.5
Your Personal Value System
We all have a personal value systema core pillar of the human spirit that is constantly
undergoing renovation. What does your value system currently look like? Perhaps this diagram
can give you some insights and, in turn, help resolve some issues that might be causing stress.
The circle in the center represents your core values: abstract or intangible constructs of
importance that can be symbolized by a host of material possessions. It is believed that we hold
about four to six core values that constitute our personal belief system, which, like a compass,
guide the spirit on our human journey. Give this concept some thought and then write in this
circle what you consider to be your current core values (e.g., love, happiness, health).
The many circles that surround the main circle represent your supporting values: those values
that lend support to your core values (these typically number from five to twelve). Take a
moment to reflect on what these might be and then assign one value per small circle. Inside
each small circle, include what typically symbolizes that value for you (e.g., wealth can be
symbolized by money, a car, or a house). Finally, consider whether any stress you feel in your life
is the result of a conflict between
your supporting and core values.
Selflove
Michael
(Husband
)
Gwendoly
n
(Daughter
)
Mom
Helpin
g
others
Church
Grandm
a
Love
Loved
ones in
heaven
Other
family
member
s
Rick
Dog
s
(Best
friend)
27
Other
friend
s
Looking at the relationships that support my core value of love, I see that many of these
relationships cause me stress at times. However, the love that I feel for these people is a lot
stronger than the stress that is caused by these relationships.
EXERCISE
Life
7.6 Your Meaningful Purpose in
Knowing that your purpose in life may change many times in the course of your life, for this
exercise, first write down (in a few words to a sentence) what you consider to be your life
purpose now, at this point in time. Then take a moment to briefly describe what you considered
to be your purpose in life at the start of each decade of your life (e.g., at age twenty it might be
or have been to graduate with a college degree, at age thirty it might be or have been to raise a
family or start a business).
Now: Getting though life one day at a time. Balancing work, home, and school as well as taking
time for myself. Main purpose to make my life the best it can be.
Age 60: Working in a job that I love. Taking care of my mother and grandmother as they age.
Maybe having a grandchild or two to love as much as I love my daughter.
Age 50: Being debt free and working in a job that I love. Helping my daughter transition to
adulthood and living in the real world.
Age 40: Graduating and starting a new chapter in my life with a new job that I can really enjoy.
Age 30: Being a mother to a toddler and trying for another child. Working out problems that
have come up between my husband and myself.
Age 20: Picking myself up after getting kicked out of Pharmacy school. Switching schools and
degree programs to finish my degree. Start planning my life with my boyfriend, getting married,
getting a house, and starting a family.
Age 16: Getting out of my house and away from my abusive step-father. Making plans to get my
brother and sister out of the house too. Trying to make my mother understand how dangerous it
is for us to be living with my step-father. Finishing high school with good enough grades to get
into Pharmacy school.
EXERCISE
7.8 Distractions of the Human Path

28
Distractions can best be described as those things that pull us off the spiritual path
indefinitely.
Distractions begin as attractions, but their allure can often cast a spell of
slumber on the soul-growth process. Although a respite on the human journey is
desirable,
and even necessary at times, a prolonged distraction will ultimately weaken
our spiritual resolve. The human spirit, like energy, must flow, never stagnate.
The lessons of distractions are quite common in fairy tales. Whether it is the
story of Pinocchio or Hansel and Gretel, the warnings regarding distractions are as
plentiful as the distractions themselves. The lessons of distractions are common in the
great spiritual teachings as well. Here they are called temptations. Not always, but often,
attractions that become distractions have an addictive quality to them.
What happens when we become distracted? Metaphorically speaking, we fall
asleep on the human path. Like Dorothy and her friends on the way to Oz who stepped
off the yellow brick road to smell the poppies and fell fast asleep, we too lose our
direction,
our mission, and our energy stagnates. The end result is never promising.
Unlike roadblocks, distractions are not meant to be circumvented, dismantled,
or even transcended. Rather, they are meant to be appreciatedperhaps from afar,
perhaps enjoyed briefly and then left behind. Fairy tales aside, what are contemporary
distractions? Common examples of everyday distractions might include social contacts,
alcohol, television, cell phones, and the Internet.
Take a moment to reflect on what might be some distractions in your life. Make
a list and describe each one in a sentence or two. Upon recognition of these, what
steps can you take to wake up and get back on the path?
1. Facebook takes time away from what I should be doing including cleaning the
house, doing homework, and taking care of myself (exercising/meditation).
Getting back on track: limit myself to only going on for a certain amount of time
per day at certain times of day.
2. Negative people they take the positive energy out of me if I let them or are too tired
to fight them off.
Getting back on track: do not let negative people get to me. Put up boundaries
that they cannot get to me even if I am tired to fight them off.
3. Negative comments people saying things about me that make me feel bad about
myself. I must not let these comments bother me and take them as active criticism
and change for the better.
Getting back on track: let negative comments bounce off of me and not let them
get to me. If they are active criticism, think about how I can change them into a
positive.
4. Love and helping others I can sometime spend too much time caring for others
which doesnt leave much time to care for myself.
Getting back on track: learn to say no when it is taking too much time away from
caring for myself. I cannot care for others unless I care for myself first.
29
5. Curiosity I sometimes get too interesting in the lives of others which cuts into the
time I have to do other more important things than sitting and chatting with someone
for hours about life.
Getting back on track: only chat with people when my work is done and set a time
limit so that I do not get behind on my work.
(Seaward, 2011)

EXERCISE
6.1 Under the Gun: Stress and Personality
Pick a stressor in your life and explain the characteristics that you feel you employ to
deal with stress based on the concepts of the hardy personality.
Stressor: Work, when things get extremely busy and we have a high censes.
1. Control: When things get hectic at work, I know that I have control on what happens with my
workload. I have a plan set on how to deal with the extra stress of an extremely busy workload.
Even though things are crazy, I am in control and things will be done one at a time, to the best
of my abilities.
2. Commitment: I am committed to my job and doing it to the best of my abilities. I know that
what I do impacts the lives of many people. I enjoy helping people and that is why I am in the
healthcare field. I am committed to helping people get well and even if it is busy, I know that I
am making a difference in peoples lives one patient at a time.
3. Challenge: Having a high censes or an extremely busy night test my abilities to do my job.
This push on my abilities and how I deal with the situation, lets me know that I am able to work
at a higher level and that I do have the skills to make sure things get done and done correctly.
After a crazy night, I can look back and see that I did made it through and I did great. The stress
was a test and I passed it.
List any other aspects (inner resources) that help you get through the tough times:
1. Faith I have a strong faith in God. I know that he will not let anything happen to me that I
cannot handle and that He will give me the strength to survive anything that life throws at me.
2. Self-love After years of soul searching, I have found love for myself. I am a good, strong
person and that I am able to do many things. Knowing this gives me the courage to face tough
times head on and know that I will get through it.
30
3. Love of others I know that I am loved by my family and friends. I know that they will stand
by me when things get tough. Knowing that I have backup, allows me to face tough times
knowing that I am not alone in the world and that people are there for me if I need it.
4. Been there, done that I have faced many tough times in my past and I have survived. In a
tough time, I only have to look back and see the tough times that I have gone through before. I
survived them and I will survive this tough time too. Tough times will not last unless you let
them. I have the tools for surviving the past to survive anything that life throws my way.
2008 Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
EXERCISE
6.2
Stress-Prone Personality Survey
The following is a survey based on the traits of the codependent personality. Please
answer the following questions with the most appropriate number.
3 = Often
1.
2 = Sometimes
1 = Rarely
0 = Never
I tend to seek approval

(acceptance) from others (e.g.,
friends, colleagues, family
2.
members).
I have very strong perfection
3.
tendencies.
I am usually involved in many
4.
projects at one time.

I rise to the occasion in times of
5.
crisis.
Despite problems with my family,
6.
I will always defend them.

I have a tendency to put others
7.
before myself.
I dont feel appreciated for all the
8.
9.
10.
things I do.
I tend to tell a lot of white lies.
I will help most anyone in need.
I tend to trust others perceptions
11.
rather than my own.

I have a habit of overreacting to
12.
situations.
Despite great achievements, my
13.
self-esteem usually suffers.

My family background is better
14.
described as victim than victor.

I have been known to manipulate
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
31
others with acts of generosity and

15.
favors.
I am really good at empathizing
16.
with my friends and family.

I usually try to make the best
17.
impression possible with people.

I like to validate my feelings with
18.
others perceptions.
I am an extremely well-organized
19.
individual.
Its easier for me to give love and
20.
much more difficult to receive it.

I tend to hide my feelings if I
know they will upset others.
Total score_42________________
Score: A score of more than 30 points indicates that you most likely have traits associated
with the codependent personality, a personality style known to be stress-prone.
EXERCISE
Survey
6.3
Stress-Resistant Personality
The following survey is composed of statements based on the hardy, survivor, and
risk-taking personality traitsall of which share common aspects that resist rather
than attract or promote stress in ones life. Please answer the following questions with
the most appropriate number.
4 = Always
3 = Often
1.
I wake up each morning ready to
2.
3.
face a new day.

I tend not to let fear run my life.
I would consider myself to be an
4.
optimist.
I tend to see problems as
opportunities for personal growth
5.
1 = Rarely
0 = Never
and success.
Although I like to be in control of
my fate, I know when to go with
the flow when things are out of
6.
2 = Sometimes
my control.
Curiosity is one of my stronger
attributes.
32
7.
Life isnt always fair, but I still
8.
manage to enjoy myself.

When things knock me off
balance, I am resilient and get
9.
11.
wont get far.

I like to think of myself as being a
12.
creative person.
I believe in the philosophy that
one person truly can make a
14.
schedule.
Sometimes having nothing to do
15.
is the best way to spend a day.

I trust that I am part of a greater
16.
force of life in the universe.

I believe in the philosophy that
17.
you make your own breaks.

I approach new situations with
the idea that I will learn
something valuable, regardless of
completion.
I am strong willed, which I see as
a positive characteristic to
20.
the outcome.
When I start a project, I see it
through to its successful
19.
difference.
I am both organized and flexible
with my lifes day-to-day
18.
luck.
I believe that if you dont take
risks, you live a boring life and
13.
back on my feet quickly.

My friends would say that I have
the ability to turn misfortune into
10.
accomplish hard tasks.

I am committed to doing my best
in most everything in life.
Total score_64________________
Score: A score of more than 30 points indicates that you most likely have traits associated with the
hardy, survivor, and calculated risk-taker personalities, personality types known to be stress-resistant.
33

(Seaward, 2011)
5
Unit
Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

Key Learning Point: Being assertive is a way to protect yourself for stress
that others may place on you. Examples of assertiveness are being able to say
no, using I statements, using eye contact, and using assertive body language.
When you present yourself as being assertive, but not overbearing, you do not
allow people to use you or burden you with additional stress (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter can stabilize
blood pressure and release endorphins to produce a happier mood. Laughter is
also good for the immune system. We also use laugher when it is out of place to
deal with incoming stress (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Reframing is a way of using a positive mind set to deal
with a stressful event. By detaching the ego from the unmet emotional
expectation from the stressful event, the mind can look at the event in
another way. This new prospective can lead to resolving of the stressful
event (Seaward, 2008).
Resources: Pamphlet
Coping with Stress: In this pamphlet the Canadian Mental Health Association explains
what stress is and how it effects your health. It also goes into detail about how to
manage stress and different techniques in how to relieve stress. The pamphlet also gives
examples of different resources to get help for stress reduction (Canadian Mental Health
Association, 2009).
34

EXERCISE
8.1
Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective

Anger and fear that arise from encountering a stressful situation can narrow our focus and
distort our perspective on the bigger picture. Although the initial aspects of dealing with these
situations involve some degree of grieving, the secret to coping with stress is to change the
threatening perception to a nonthreatening perception. This worksheet invites you to identify
three stressors and, if necessary, draft a new, reframed perspective (not a rationalization) that
allows you to get out of the rut of a myopic view and start moving on with your life.
Example:
Situation: Can never find a parking space close to the dorm/classroom
Reframed Perspective: Although nearby parking certainly saves time, there is no denying that
the walk provides much needed exercise/activity
1. Situation: Parking lot closest to pharmacy department closed off for snow removal.
Reframed Perspective: Though parking in this lot is closer and takes less time to get to work,
parking in the garage allows me to walk through the hospital instead of outside which is safer to
do at night.
2. Situation: Having to do option 2 seminar for classes that seminar is scheduled during when
Im at work.
Reframed Perspective: It is easier to sit through an hour of seminar than to do option 2,
however, having to do option 2 makes me research topics more and understand the material
better.
3. Situation: Having my usually pharmacist/work partner on vacation.
Reframed Perspective: Having different pharmacists to work with during my partners vacation
allows me to interact with other people and learn from them. Also it makes me value my partner
more.
EXERCISE
9.1
Value Assessment and Clarification

Valuesthose abstract ideal[s] that shape our livesare important constructs. They give the
conscious mind structure. They can also give countries and governments structure. The U.S.
Declaration of Independence is all about values, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. Although values are intangible, they are often symbolized by material objects or
35
possessions, which can make values very real.

Some everyday examples of values are love, peace, privacy, education, freedom, happiness,
creativity, fame, integrity, faith, friendship, morals, health, justice, loyalty, honesty, and
independence.
Where do values come from? We adopt values at a very early age, unconsciously, from people
we admire, love, or desire acceptance from, such as our parents, brothers and sisters, school
teachers, and clergy. Values are often categorized into two groups: basic values, a collection of
three to five instrumental values that are the cornerstones of the foundation of our personalities,
and supporting values, which augment our basic values. Throughout our development we
construct a value system, a collection of values that influences our attitudes and behaviors, all of
which make up our personality. If you are not sure what your values are, look to see where you
spend your time and money.
As we mature, our value systems also change because we become accountable for the way we
think and behave. Like the earths tectonic plates, our values shift in importance, causing our
own earth to quake. These shifts are called value conflicts, and they can cause a lot of stress.
Classic examples of value conflicts include love versus religious faith or social class (Romeo and
Juliet), freedom versus responsibility, and work versus leisure (the American Dream). Conflicts in
values can be helpful in our own maturing process if we work through the conflict to a full
resolution. Problems arise when we ignore the conflict and avoid clarifying our value system. The
purpose of this journal theme is for you to take an honest look at your value system, assess its
current status, and clarify unresolved issues associated with values in conflict.
The following are some questions to help you in the process of values assessment and
clarification.
1. Make a list of the core values you hold. (Values come from things that give you meaning and
importance, yet they are abstract in nature.)
Love, family, faith, education, friendship, work ethic, and sense of self.
2. See if you can identify which of these values are basic, or instrumental, at this point in your
life and which support or augment your basic values.
My values about love, family, faith, work ethic, education, bonds of friendship, and sense
of self are all basic values that make me the person I am today. I feel that they are all
instrumental values.
3. How are your values represented in your possessions? (For example, a BMW may represent
wealth or freedom.)
Laptop = my value for education because that is what I use it for.
Yoga mat = my value for bettering myself because I use it for stretching and yoga.
Grandfathers tools = my value of family because even though my grandfather is gone I
still have a part of him.
4. Describe how your values influence your dominant thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.
I have a strong bond with my family and I would do anything for them. I also have a
strong work ethic that makes me work hard and do my best in everything I do. My value
of education is pushing me to better myself with continuing to learn as much as I can.
Believe in my faith and myself is how I get through the stress of my life.
5. Do you have any values that compete for priority with one another? If so, what are they, and
why is there a conflict?
36
I have some values that do compete for priority with each other. My sense of self and
commitment to family sometimes clash because I have a hard time refusing my family
though I need time for myself. Work, school, family, and time for self also compete for
priority. I only have so much time in a day to do all these things that it sometimes hard to
balance them.
6. What do you see as the best way to begin to resolve this conflict in values? Ask yourself
whether it is time to change the priority of your values or perhaps discard values that no
longer give importance to your life.
The values that I have now are important to me and are a big part of who I am. I do not
see myself changing them. To resolve these conflicting values, I have to put myself and my
well-being first. I have to say No to my family sometimes so that I am able to preserve
myself. I have to learn to balance work, family, education and time for myself to continue to
better myself. When I am done school, learning will become a value under work, however, for
now it must have its own time slot in the balance.
EXERCISE
15.1
The Time-Crunch Questionnaire
The following is a survey based on the traits of the codependent personality. Please answer the
following questions with the most appropriate number.
1 = rarely
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
2 = sometimes
3 = often
I tend to procrastinate with projects and responsibilities.

My bedtime varies depending on the workload I have each day.
I am the kind of person who leaves things till the last minute.
I forget to make To Do lists to keep me organized.
I spend more than two hours watching television each night.
I tend to have several projects going on at the same time.
I tend to put work ahead of family and friends.
My life is full of endless interruptions and distractions.
I tend to spend a lot of time on the phone.
Multi-tasking is my middle name. I am a great multi-tasker.
My biggest problem with time management is prioritization.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to getting things done.
I never seem to have enough time for my personal life.
I tend to set unrealistic goals to accomplish tasks.
I reward myself before getting things done on time.
I just never have enough hours in the day to get things done.
I can spend untold hours distracted while surfing the Internet.
I tend not to trust others to get things done when I can do them
better myself.
If I am completely honest, I tend to be a workaholic.
I have been known to skip meals in order to complete projects.
I will clean my room, garage, or kitchen before I really get to
work on projects.
I will often help friends with their work before doing my own.
Its hard to get motivated to get things done.
37
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
1
2
2
3
3
1
1
2
2
3
3
Total Score
_34_______
6
Unit
Questionnaire Key
025 points = excellent time management skills (keep doing what you are doing!)
5026 points = fair time management skills (time to pull in the reins a bit)
7551 points = poor time management skills (time to reevaluate your life skills)
(Seaward, 2011)
Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery
Key Learning Point: There are three categories of mental images. The first
is images that replicate peaceful scenes to promote relaxation. This can be seen
when you image that you are sitting in front of a mountain waterfall. The second
is images that substitute a less desirable behavior with a healthier one. This can
be seen when you picture yourself eating a healthy meal instead of fast food.
The third is images that help to heal damaged body tissues. This can be seen
when you are picturing an army of white blood cells attacking the disease
causing bacteria that is causing your sore throat. (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Synesthesia or sensory cross-over, is a cross-wiring of

ones senses, during an altered state, during which one smells sounds or see
38
noises. Synesthesia is seen mostly in extreme relaxation or meditative state

(Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Breathing is very important in relaxation.

Diaphragmatic breathing is the best way to breathe and in turn have the best
relaxation experience. By using your diaphragm to bring oxygen into your lungs
and into your body, you are able to have a more power in your breath. As you
get good at diaphragmatic breathing you strengthen your diaphragm, decrease
the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate, and decreasing oxygen
demand (Seaward, 2008).

EXERCISE
18.3
Bridging the Hemispheres of
Thought
In 1956 a researcher named Roger Sperry conducted some experiments on a handful of patients
with grand mal epileptic seizures. In the procedure he created, he cut the corpus callosum, the
bridge of neural fibers that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Not only did the
operation reduce the number and intensity of the grand mal seizures, but it also soon gave
credence to a whole new concept of how the mind, through the brain, processes information.
Roger Sperrys research led to a Nobel Prize in medicine and to the household expressions rightbrain thinking and left-brain thinking.
Left-brain thinking skills are associated with judgment, analysis, mathematical and verbal acuity,
linear thought progression, and time consciousness; right-brain functioning is associated with
global thinking, holistic thinking, imagination, humor, emotionality, spatial orientation,
receptivity, and intuition; Western culture grooms and rewards left-brain thinking. It is fair to say
that judgmental thinking is one of our predominant traits. Although it is true that Western
culture is left-brain dominant in thinking skills, the truth of the matter is that to be dominant in
one style of thinking is actually considered lopsided and imbalanced.
1. How would you describe your dominant thinking style? Would you say that your left brain or
right brain dominates?
If I had to pick between left and right brain dominance, I would have to say that I am left
brain. However, I feel that this dominance is only slight. I have a lot of right brain thinking
styles also.
2. If you were to make a guess or assumption as to why your thinking skills gravitate toward
one direction or the other, what would be your explanation?
I believe I think this way because that is how I was raised. Things were taught to me in a
step by step linear thought progression. I have a natural mathematical acuity and sense
of time. When I was little, I really didnt have a chance to express myself. Everything was
done in a structured manner.
39
3. One of the basic themes of wellness is balancein this case, balance of the right-brain and
left-brain functions. Based on your answer to the first question, what are your dominant
thinking skills and your non-dominant thinking skills? What are some ways you can balance
your patterns by bridging between the right and left hemispheres of your brain?
Looking at the thinking skills associated with each side of the brain, these are my
dominant thinking skills: analysis, mathematical acuity, linear thought progression, time
consciousness, holistic thinking, imagination, emotionality, spatial orientation, receptivity,
and intuition. My non-dominant skills are judgment, verbal acuity, global thinking, and
humor. I think that I have a good balance between hemispheres, especially now that Im
an adult. I allow myself to let go and embrace both sides of my brain. I could work on
some of my non-dominant skills also. I believe once I started to meditate and let go of
my past pain, I was able to start balancing my right and left brain functions.
EXERCISE
20.2
Three Short Guided
Visualizations
A Point of Light in Space
This guided imagery is called a point of light in space. As with all types of guided imagery, please
adapt and embellish all suggestions you hear to best promote a sense of
rest and relaxation. To begin . . . .
Close your eyes and begin to focus on your breathing. Feel the air come into your nose or
mouth, down into your lungs, and as you inhale, feel your stomach area extend out comfortably.
Then when you begin to exhale, feel a deep sense of relaxation, for there is no work, no effort,
as you release the air from your lungs. This is the most relaxed part of breathing. The exhalation
phase of the breath cycle requires no work, no effortit happens all by itself. Please repeat this
cycle of comfortably deep breathing two more times. Inhale (pause five seconds). Exhale. Inhale
(pause five seconds).
Exhale.
Now, with your minds eye, imagine a vast area of dark empty space in front of you. As you look
at this dark empty space, off in the distance you see a small point of light: a brilliant, goldenwhite light. Allow your thoughts to slowly bring this point of light closer to you. Think to yourself
of the stillness that surrounds the light. The stillness represents the quiet solitude that the mind
craves after a busy day of sensory overload. The point of light represents only that which is
essential to focus on for your higher good. All other thoughts are unimportant at this time. Once
again, focus on the small point of light. Although this point of light is small, its bright and
vibrant. This light is a symbolic representation of your selfyourself at complete homeostasis.
As you focus on this point of light, take a slow, comfortable, deep breathas slow and
comfortably deep as you can. As you exhale, place all of your attention, all of your concentration,
on this point of light. If your mind should happen to wander, and most likely it will, simply direct
all thoughts back to this point of light in a calm sea of still darkness.
40
As you focus on this point of light, think to yourself that in the course of a busy day you are
constantly being bombarded with sensory stimulation and an abundance of information. Although
the mind seeks stimulation, the mind also craves time to unwind and relax. Balance is essential.
While it may be impossible to have no thoughts in your mind, it is possible to focus solely on just
one thought. Right now, the only thought you need to focus on is this beautiful point of light. As
you focus on this single point of brilliant light, take one more slow, deep breath. As you exhale,
feel whatever tensions or excess energy you carry in your mind dissipate, thus allowing for a
deeper sense of relaxation of mind, body, and spirit.
Take one more slow, deep breath, and this time as you exhale, slowly allow this image of the
brilliant point of light to fade from your minds eye, yet retain the deep sense of relaxation and
calm it has instilled. And as you do this, begin to place all of your attention on your breathing.
Inhale and as you do, feel your stomach begin to extend, then slowly come back in as you
exhale. In this exhalation process, become aware of a deep sense of complete relaxation.
Although you feel relaxed, you dont feel sleepy or tired. You feel refreshed and renewed. As you
become aware of this energizing sensation, begin to open your eyes to a soft gaze in front of you
and slowly bring yourself back to the awareness of the room you are now in, feeling refreshed
and renewed.
Gentle Falling Snow
Picture this: You are sitting by a large picture window in a warm log cabin on a brisk winters
day. You have the entire place to yourself, and the solitude feels invigorating. There is a log fire
in the wood stove radiating abundant heat. Both the sounds of crackling wood and the scent of
pine arouse your senses and for a moment, you close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath, a
sigh that refreshes. As you exhale, you feel a wonderful sense of relaxation permeate your entire
body from head to toe, and it feels great. Consciously, you take another slow, deep breath in
through your nose. As you exhale through your mouth, you become aware of the glorious
stillness that surrounds you in this cabin.
From where you are seated, look out the window, and as you do, you see falling snow, snow that
falls gently to the ground in large flakes. Everything outside is covered in white fluffy snow: the
ground, the pine trees, the aspensin fact, all the trees for as far as you can see are covered in
snow. As you look closely at the snowflakes descending from on high toward the ground, you
sense a calmness both indoors and outdoors. Other than snow falling, everything is still.
Everything is quiet. This stillness you observe is a reflection of the tranquility you feel within
yourself.
This stillness is so inviting that you slowly move off the couch and stand up. As you walk toward
the cabin door, you put on your warm winter coat, hat, and gloves. Then, slowly you open the
door and simply stand in the doorframe to observe the endless dance of millions of snowflakes
floating gentlyalmost in slow motionfrom the sky down to the snow-covered ground.
Listen closely. What do you hear? The sound of snowflakes is so soft, so gentle, that the sound is
barely audible. Your ability to focus on this sound to the exclusion of all other thoughts sets your
mind at ease, like a broom that gently sweeps the floor of any remnants needing to be cleaned.
The snow-covered ground is a symbol of your mind: clean, clear, and still. Take a slow, deep
breath of this clean, fresh air and feel a deeper sense of calmness throughout your entire body.
41
As you step back inside and close the door, you kick off your shoes, take off this jacket, hat, and
gloves, and return to the couch by the picture window. As you close your eyes to focus on the
sounds of stillness, take one final slow, deep breath and bring that stillness into the center of
your heart space.
Now, slowly allow this image to fade from your minds eye, but retain the sense of tranquility it
inspired. Make yourself aware of your surroundings: the room, the building, the time of day, and
perhaps what you will do after this relaxation session. Although you feel relaxed, you dont feel
tired. You feel rested and rejuvenated. Begin to make yourself aware of your body. Stretch your
arms and shoulders. When you feel ready, open your eyes to a soft gaze in front of you, and as
you do, retain this sense of calm comfort throughout your mind, body, and spirit all day long.
A Walk on a Secluded Beach
The beach, from the warm turquoise waters of the ocean to the cool, gentle breezes and warm
sand, has served humanity for thousands of years as a metaphor for cleansing the mind and
relaxing the body. Sitting or walking along a deserted beach and focusing on the gentle rhythm
of the ocean surf serve a primal desire for relaxation. It is this image that we wish to re-create in
the minds eye for the same purpose right now.
The time of day is moments before sunrise, or if you wish, sunset. The temperature is
comfortably warm, yet there is a gentle breeze in the air. The sky contains a few clouds, but only
enough to enhance the spectacle of reflecting the suns rays in concert with the rotation of the
earth. While there may be birds off in the distance, you notice that the only sounds you hear are
those of the ocean waves in perfect rhythm with your relaxed breathing: inhalation and
exhalation.
As you stop for a moment and look out to the horizon, the vastness of all you see in front of you
shrinks any and all problems, concerns, and issues you may have at this time to their proper
proportion. The immensity, as well as the beauty, of the view you hold in your eyes is
exhilarating. Stop for a moment and take a comfortably slow, deep breath. Just as the oceans
waves clean the shoreline, so too does each exhalation cleanse your mind and body of any
thoughts, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and feelings that, at one time, may have served you but
now only hold you back.
Using the ocean surf as a metaphor for peace and relaxation---breathe often for the next several
minutes, in rhythm with the oceans tide to instill a deep sense of peace and relaxation in both
your mind and your body;
Inhale
Inhale
Inhale
Inhale
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(pause
(pause
(pause
(pause
five
five
five
five
to
to
to
to
ten
ten
ten
ten
seconds)
seconds)
seconds)
seconds)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
And one more time: Inhale . . . (pause five seconds) . . . Exhale. As you exhale, take a moment
to look down in the sand. As you do, you notice a seashell that catches your attention. You bend
down to pick it up and feel the soft texture of the repeated eons of surf on each side of this shell.
With a smile of recognition that we too will become soft to the touch with the repeated surf of
time, you place this shell in your pocket as a reminder of your own journey of personal growth.
Now, slowly allow this image to fade from your mind, but retain all sensations of relaxation. As
you do this, return all thoughts to your breathing each breath comfortably calm and relaxed.
Make yourself aware of your surroundings. Remember, although you feel relaxed, you dont feel
42
tired or sleepy. You feel rested and rejuvenated. Begin to make yourself aware of your body.
Stretch your arms and shoulders. When you feel ready, open your eyes to a soft gaze in front of
you and bring yourself back to awareness of your current surroundings.
Thoughts and Experiences
A Point of Light in Space: In this visualization, it was hard for me to concentrate. My mind kept
wandering off. Also I just could not get into it and relax. Didnt like it that much.
Gentle Falling Snow: This was my favorite of the three visualizations. I really got into imagining
that I was there watching the snow and all the parts of the visualization. I was able to unwind
and relax right away. I followed the exercise, but liked it so much that I used it for a longer
period of time during my morning meditation. Making sure I keep this visualization for later use.
A Walk on a Secluded Beach: This one was ok. I was able to relax to it and unwind. I used the
setting sun instead of the rising sun because it was easier for me to let go of my tension as the
sun was sinking under the horizon. I have to confess, I did put on a recording of ocean waves to
help me get into this visualization. Unlike the gentle falling snow, it was little hard to get into,
however, once I was into it than I was able to relax and unwind.
(Seaward, 2011)

EXERCISE
17.1 Dolphin Breath Meditation
Meditation Script
Introduction
Breathing is, perhaps, the most common way to promote relaxation. Taking a few moments
to focus on your breathing, to the exclusion of all other thoughts, helps to calm
mind, body, and spirit. By focusing solely on your breathing, you allow distracting
thoughts to leave the conscious mind. In essence, clearing the mind of thoughts is
very similar to deleting unwanted emails, thus allowing more room to concentrate on
what is really important in your life, that which really deserves attention.
Script
In a normal resting state, the average person breathes about fourteen to sixteen breath
cycles per minute. Under stress, this can increase to nearly thirty breath cycles per
minute. Yet in a deep relaxed state, it is not uncommon to have as few as four to six
breath cycles in this same time period. The breathing style that produces the greatest
relaxation response is that which allows the stomach to expand, rather than the upper
chest (this is actually how you breathe when you are comfortably asleep). Take a few
moments to breathe, specifically focusing your attention on your abdominal area.
And, if any distracting thoughts come to your attention, simply allow these to fade
away as you exhale.
Sometimes, combining visualization with breathing can augment the relaxation
response. The dolphin breath meditation is one such visualization. Imagine if
43
you will that, like a dolphin, you have a hole in the crown of your head with which
to breathe. Although you will still breathe through your nose or mouth, imagine
that you are now taking in slow, deep breaths through the opening at the top of
your head.
As you do this, feel the air or energy come in through the top of your head, down
past your neck and shoulders, and reside momentarily at the base of your spine.
Then, when you feel ready, very slowly exhale, allowing the air to move back
out through the dolphin spout, the opening situated at the top of your head. As you
slowly exhale, feel a deep sense of inner peace reside throughout your body.
Once again, using all your concentration, focus your attention on the opening
at the top of your head. Now, slowly breathe air in through this openingcomfortably
slow, comfortably deep. As you inhale, feel the air move down into your lungs,
yet allow it to continue further down, deep into your abdominal region. When you
feel ready, slowly exhale, allowing the air to move comfortably from your abdominal
region up through the top of your head.
Now, take three slow, deep dolphin breaths, and each time you exhale, feel a
deep sense of relaxation throughout your body.
1. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
Just as you imagined a hole in the top of your head, now imagine that in the
sole of each foot there is also a hole through which you can breathe. As you create this
image, take a slow, deep breath and through your minds eye visualize air coming in
through the soles of each foot. Visualize the air moving in from your feet, up through
your legs, past your knees and waist, to where it resides in your abdominal region.
When you feel ready, begin to exhale slowly and allow the air to move back out the
way it came, out through the soles of your feet.
Using all your concentration, again focus your attention on the openings at the
bottom of your feet and once again breathe in air through these openings, comfortably
slow, comfortably deep. As before, feel the air move up your legs and into your
abdominal region as your lungs fill with air. Then, when you feel ready, exhale, allowing
the air to move slowly from your abdominal region, back through your legs and
out the soles of your feet.
Once again, please take three slow, deep breaths, this time through the soles of
your feet; and each time you exhale, feel a deep sense of relaxation all throughout
your body.
Now, with your concentration skills fully attentive, with your mind focused on
the openings of both the top of your head and the soles of your feet, use your imagination
to inhale air through both head and feet. As you do this, slowly allow the passage
of air entering from both head and feet to move toward the center of your body,
where it resides in the abdominal region until you exhale. Then, when you feel ready,
slowly exhale and direct the air that came in through the top of your head to exit
through the dolphin hole, while at the same time directing the air that entered
through the soles of your feet to leave from that point of entry. Once you have tried
44
this, repeat this combined breath three times, and with each exhalation, notice how
relaxed your body feels.
When youre done, allow this image to fade from your mind, but retain the
sense of deep relaxation this experience has instilled throughout your mind, body,
and spirit. Then take one final slow, deep breath, feeling the air come into your nose
or mouth, down into your lungs, and allow your stomach to extend out and then deflate
as you begin to exhale. Again, feel a deep sense of calm as you exhale.
When you feel ready, allow your eyes to slowly open to a soft gaze in front of
you, and bring your awareness back to the room where you now find yourself. As you
bring yourself back to the awareness of the room you are now in, you feel fully energized,
recharged, revitalized, and ready to accomplish whatever tasks await you
ahead.
Thoughts and Experiences
I really didnt like this exercise. It felt weird imagining that I was breathing through the
top of my head and my feet. I was not able to relax and felt a lot of tension in my neck and legs
trying to get the image of the air going in and out of my feet and the top of my head. I think I do
better with my breathing exercises where I bring in the good air and out with the bad. Using my
mouth/nose to bring in and breathe out the air.
EXERCISE
18.1 Too Much Information
If no one has officially said this to you yet, then you are overdue to hear these words:
Welcome to the information age! Satellite television, cable television, the Internet,
cell phones, and embedded computer chips are just a few things that inundate us
with a tsunami of information. As if this werent enough, there are more things looming
on the horizon, all of which are begging for our attention. If you are like most
people today, most likely you are drowning in information. There is even a new name
for this: information stress.
Although we take in information through all of our five senses, over 80 percent
of all the information we take in is received through the senses of sight and sound.
Well before the term information age was coined, it was very easy to experience sensory
overload from too much information taken from the eyes and ears, such as from
watching too much television to pulling an all-nighter to cram for an exam. The consequence of
sensory overload is becoming numb to it all and walking around like a
zombie. Its no stretch to say there are people who fit this description.
Living in the information age, discernment is essential. Discernment means being
able to distinguish truth from non-truth. Perhaps more accurately, it means discerning
news from marketing, news from entertainment, and truth from hype and spin.
There is a solution to information overload. It is a practice called meditation: cleaning
the mind of all the clutter and useless information that bombards your attention span.
45
1. List five ways to successfully decrease the quantity of information with which
you are barraged every day.
A. limit on-line time (Facebook, email, etc.)
B. limit TV time
C. work without radio going
D. meditate and/or take a quiet walk
E. limit time interacting with a lot of people
2. People tend to mirror behavior, often not even knowing that they do this. In
terms of too much information, or TMI, people who take in too much information
often talk to their friends and share too much information (e.g., how much
they make, how many times they have sex per week, or how often they clean
their bathroom). There is a real art to sharing information without revealing
everything. As a rule, people who share too much information about themselves
have acceptance problems. Are you the kind of person who volunteers too
much information? If so, what can you do to filter out the less important facts
and perceptions and still get your point across?
Yes, I volunteer too much information to people, especially those Im close to. I have set
some boundaries when it comes to information. First, there are a few subjects I will not talk
about, including sex and finances. It is no ones business but my own about my sex life and my
finances. Second, only give the information asked for and not offer any more. Third, only give
basic information unless asked for more detail.
3. See if you can come up with a handful of ways to bring balance back into your
life by taking time to quiet your mind and explain them here.
Four ways that I can bring balance back to my life are meditation, breathing exercises,
exercising, and journaling. I use meditation to relax, reset, and escape the stresses in my life. I
like to take myself on a guided meditation or just sit/lay down and let my mind go while listening
to nature sounds. Next is my breathing exercises. Breathe in the good and out the bad. This is a
quick way to center myself. Exercising lets me focus on my body, letting my mind forget for a
while everything else that is going on. Journaling helps me explore different ways of thinking
about things. Helps me find new ways of looking at my problems.
EXERCISE
20.1 I Have a Vision: The Art of
Visualization
A popular song back in the 1960s had a line that went like this: Thinking is the best
way to travel. In many ways this is true. The mind has an incredible ability to project
itself to many placessome places the body might have been to, some only the mind
visits in dreams. Traveling on the thoughts generated by the mind, we can go anywhere.
No ticket or baggage is required, only a desire and your imagination.
46
If you had the ability to project yourself anywhere to relax for an hour or so,
where would you go? This journal theme invites you to plan five mental mini-vacations
and then use the powers of your imagination to take you there.
Visualization can also be used to heal the body by using your imagination to
create a vision of restored health of a specific organ or region of your body. In fact, visualization
is one of the leading techniques in mind-body medicine.
The purpose of this exercise, then, is to sharpen your imagination and relaxation
skills so that when you recognize your need to unwind you can escape, if only
momentarily, to a place that gives you peace of mind. When drafting these images,
give as much detail as possible so you can not only see them in your minds eye, but
actually feel yourself there through all five senses.
What are some healing visualizations you can use to restore yourself to
health?
1. Ricks house Rick is my best friend and he has a couch that he has put in front of his
sliding glass door that looks out on the mountains. I can image myself sitting on his
couch looking out at the mountains, smell the wood burning in his woodstove, hearing
nothing but quiet and the occasional log crackle, and the taste of tea, warm in my
hands. I dont know there is always this positive energy, a calming force when I am
there and I can visualize the experience. This helps me restore myself.
2. Webber Pond This is where my family has a camp. I can image myself kayaking
across the lake early in the morning. Hearing the loons calling out, feeling the sun
warm on my face or back, smell the clear air with hints of wood smoke from wood
stoves at camps along the banks of the pond and seeing such beauty in the simple
nature scenes around the lake.
3. Forest hike Either with or without snow. Just absorbing the natural world around me
and not having to think about anything.
4. Sitting atop a mountain Looking down over the world from high above. Patting
myself on the back after a good hike up the mountain. Enjoying the peace and quiet
that can only be found on top of the world.
5. Skiing It doesnt matter what mountain Im at skiing, I feel the same inner peace. It
is hard to explain the simple pleasure of skiing down a mountain, the wind in your
hair, the smell of fresh snow and pine trees. The feeling of drawing in clear fresh
mountain air. The way my muscles feel as I weave myself back and forth across the
trail.
In the course Webliography, there are two guided mental imagery tracks that
accompany your text: (1) A Mountain Lake and (2) Rainbow Meditation. Listen to each of
these and write your impressions of each in the following space.
1. A Mountain Lake: I really enjoyed this guided mental imagery track. I liked it so much I
listened to it a few times instead of my usual nature sounds soundtrack that I use for my
meditation. I could feel myself walking to the lake and sitting on the rock looking out at
the water. As the ripples got smaller, my stress seemed to melt away. It was so calming
and relaxing. One of the times I was listening to it, I was so relaxed I fell asleep.
2. Rainbow Meditation: I couldnt relax to this guided mental imagery track. It was too much
work trying to picture the different light energies coming from my body. It also reminded
me of the Chakra cleansing class that I took. Both that class and this track were hard for
me to relate to.
47
(Seaward, 2011)
7
Unit
Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Key Learning Point: There are four dominos of food, stress, and health. The
first is stress tends to deplete nutrients from the body. The second is the current
American lifestyles under stress does not promote or reinforce good eating
habits. The third is some food substances are known to increase sympathetic
drive or other physiological responses that keep the stress response elevated.
The last domino is many foods that are processed contribute to a cumulative
effect of toxins (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Caffeine, refined and processed foods, and alcohol are
foods that augment the stress response. These foods lack the nutrients that the
body needs to promote health. Caffeine in particular has methylated xanthine,
which is a chemical that triggers a sympathetic response and causes stress
(Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: There are seven Chakras that corresponds to a

different region of the body and to a certain color. By eating a rainbow of
colors of food, the colors that corresponds to each Chakra brings health to
those regions. The first Chakra is the root, which corresponds to the gonads
and red. Foods like strawberries and tomatoes promote the health of the
gonads. The second is the navel, with corresponds to the spleen and
orange. Foods like carrots and oranges promote the health of the spleen.
The third is the solar plexus, which corresponds to the adrenals and yellow.
Foods like bananas and yellow peppers promote the health of the adrenals.
48
The fourth is the heart, which corresponds to the heart and green. Foods
like lettuce and green apples promote the health of the heart. The fifth is
the throat, which corresponds to the thymus and aqua blue. Foods like
blueberries and huckleberries promote the health of the thymus. The sixth
is brow, which corresponds to the pituitary gland and indigo. Foods like
raisins and prunes promotes the health of the pituitary gland. The last is
the crown, which corresponds to the pineal gland and purple. Foods like
eggplant and purple cabbage promote the health of the pineal gland
(Seaward, 2008).
Resources: Web site:
The USDA Choose My Plate web site recommended amount of fruits, vegetables, protein,
dairy, and grains for proper nutrition. It also gives recommendations for exercise and
burning calories. By eating a balanced diet, the body is able to absorb the nutrients it
needs (USDA, 2015).

EXERCISE
27.1
Stress-Related Eating Behaviors
Please read the following statements and circle the appropriate answer. Then tally the total to
determine your score using the key below.
4 = Always
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
3 = Often
2 = Sometimes
I tend to skip breakfast on a regular basis.

On average, two or three meals are prepared
outside the home each day.
I drink more than one cup of coffee or tea a day.
I tend to drink more than one soda/pop per day.
I commonly snack between meals.
When in a hurry, I usually eat at fast food places.
I tend to snack while watching television.
I tend to put salt on my food before tasting it.
I drink fewer than eight glasses of water a day.
I tend to satisfy my sweet tooth daily.
When preparing meals at home, I usually dont
cook from scratch.
Honestly, my eating habits lean toward fast,
junk, processed foods.
I eat fewer than four to five servings of fresh
vegetables per day.
I drink at least one glass of wine, beer, or alcohol
a day.
My meals are eaten sporadically throughout the
day rather than at regularly scheduled times.
49
1 = Rarely
0 = Never
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
I dont usually cook with fresh herbs and spices.

I usually dont make a habit of eating organic
fruits and veggies.
My biggest meal of the day is usually eaten after
7:00 P.M.
For the most part, my vitamins and minerals
come from the foods I eat.
Artificial sweeteners are in many of the foods I
eat.
Total Score
0
26
Scoring Key
A score of more than 20 points indicates eating behaviors are not conducive to reducing stress. A
score of more than 30 suggests eating habits may seriously compromise the integrity of your
immune system.
From my score, my eating behaviors are not stress reducing. There are a few things that
I can do to reduce my score to below 20. These include having a regular meal time and stop
snacking between meals.
EXERCISE
27.2
Self-Assessment: Nutritional Eating Habits

1.
2.
Do you regularly consume caffeine?

List the foods that you ingest that contain caffeine
(e.g., coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate) and the estimated
amounts you consume per day.
Caffeine values gotten from Caffeine informer (2015)
Yes
Type of Food with
Caffeine
a. Hot chocolate
16 oz.
b. Chocolate milk
shake 24 oz.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Do you take vitamin supplements? If yes, what kinds?

Multivitamin, Vitamin D3, Fish oil, and Vitamin Bcomplex
Do you frequently use table salt?
Do you eat one or more meals that are prepared
outside the home daily?
Do you consume junk food (from vending machines or
convenience stores) regularly?
Do you eat cereals that contain sugar?
Do you drink a lot of soft drinks?
Do you find that when you are stressed you tend to eat
more?
Do you find that when you are angry you tend to eat
more?
Do you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables?
Do you eat foods (e.g., fish and nuts) with the
50
No
Amount
per Day
10 mg/
once a
week
15 mg/
once a
week
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
13.
14.
15.
essentials oils (omega-3 and omega-6)?

Do you tend to eat quickly (e.g., to wolf down your
food)?
Do you tend to drink alcohol as a means to relax?
List your top five comfort foods:
16.
Describe any other eating habits that you associate

with a stressed lifestyle: I associate skipping meals
with a stressful lifestyle. When Im stressed, sometimes
I forget to eat. Also eating whatever is available is
another eating habit that I associate with a stressful
lifestyle. You want something fast and do not feel like
making anything.
Reference:
Yes
No
Yes
a. Ice cream
b. Popcorn
c. Berries
d. Mac and cheese
e. Oatmeal
No
Caffeine Informer (2015). Retrieved March 17, 2015 from

http://www.caffeineinformer.com/the-caffeinedatabase
EXERCISE
27.3
The Rainbow Diet
Food color is more important than just having a nice presentation on your dinner plate. Each
color holds a specific vibration in the spectrum of light. When this is combined with the nutrient
value of food, it can help to enhance the health of the physical body.
In the science of subtle energies, each of the bodys primary chakras is associated with a specific
color (see accompanying chart). It is thought that eating fruits and vegetables associated with
the color of various chakras provides healthy energy to that specific region. For example, women
with urinary tract infections (root chakra) are encouraged to drink cranberry juice (red). Diabetic
people with macular problems are encouraged to eat blueberries and take the herb bilberry
(blue). Moreover, recent research suggests that the active ingredients in fruits and vegetables
that give them their color, called bioflavonoids, help prevent cancer. Regardless of Eastern
philosophies or Western science, the bottom line is to eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables.
The following table identifies the seven chakras, their respective body regions, and the color
associated with each chakra or region. List five fruits, veggies, or herbs for each color.
Chakra
7: Crown
Body Region
Pineal
Color
Purple
6: Brow
Pituitary
5: Throat
Thymus
Indigo
Aqua blue
51
Food Choices
Purple grapes, purple
cabbage, purple asparagus,
lavender, and plums
Raisins, prunes, blackberries,
eggplant, and beets
Blueberries, elderberries, blue
corn, huckleberries, and

4: Heart
Heart
3: Solar plexus
Adrenals
Green
Yellow
2: Navel
Spleen
1: Root
Gonads
Orange
Red
boysenberries
Green beans, broccoli, Brussel
sprouts, lettuce, and avocado
Sweet corn, summer squash,
lemons, yellow peppers, and
pineapple
Carrots, sweet potatoes,
mango, oranges, and peaches
Apples, strawberries, red
grapefruit, tomatoes, and
cherries
Additional Thoughts:
I believe in eating a rainbow of different colored fruits and vegetables, not for balancing my
Chakras, but for the different vitamins and minerals that different colored foods bring. It also
breaks up the boredom of eating the same old foods over and over again. Different colored
vegetables also bring different tastes. Purple cabbage taste different to me than green cabbage
and red apples taste different than green apples. Eating different colored fruits and vegetables
widens my pallet to different tastes.
(Seaward, 2011)
52
Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity
8
Unit
Key Learning Point: There are three energy systems that the body goes
through when exercising. These are depended on intensity and duration. The
first is the phosphagen stage which last only for seconds and is done without
oxygen. The next is anaerobic glyglytic stage which last for a few minutes and is
done without oxygen. The last is oxidative which is done with a supple of oxygen
and last for many minutes to hours (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: When planning an exercise program, one must think
about the F.I.T.T. Principle. Frequency (F) is the number of times a week you do
the exercise. Intensity (I) is how hard your exercise. This is described by low,
moderate, or high intensity. Exercises have a general classification of what the
intensity is for that exercise, however, it also comes down to how the person
feels and ability to breathe. Time (T) is the amount of time (seconds, minutes,
hours) that the exercise is done. Type (T) is what kind of exercise it is. There are
three major categories of exercise, strength, cardiac, and flexibility. Each has an
important part in the total physical health of the person (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Exercise plays a major part in stress reduction. One of
the benefits is the flushing out of cortisol from the body so that it cannot cause
fat to be stored in the body. By exercising, the heart rate and breathing rate is
reduced. When this is done, stress does not cause as much damage to the body.
Exercise also takes the mind off of the stressor or stressful event. This leads to
the mind to be able to have a new prospective in solving the problem (Seaward,
2008).
53
Resources: Web site:
Healthy People 2020 has a section on its web site devoted to physical activity
and guidelines for healthy exercise practice. It give recommendations on
what exercises should be done and how often. Planning is set up in the F.I.T.T.
format. It goes into detail for every age group and has suggestions to adapt
the programs for people that are not able to jump right into an exercise
routine (HealthyPeople.gov, 2015).
HW410: Unit 8 Journals

EXERCISE
28.1
Physical Exercise
In simplest terms, we are physical animals with a human spirit. As human beings we were never
meant to sit behind a desk for eight to ten hours a day. Human anatomy and physiology were
designed to find a balance between motion and stillness, stress and homeostasis, exercise and
relaxation. Some would say that the mounting incidence of disease and illness is a result of being
out of physiological balance.
In this day and age, in which stress is at an all-time high, our bodies kick out several stress
hormones, which, if not used for their intended purpose (to mobilize the bodys systems for fight
or flight), circulate throughout the body and tend to wreak havoc on various organs and
constituents of the immune system. Physical exercise is considered the best way to keep the
physiological systems of the body in balance, from stress hormones and adipose tissue to the
integrity of bone cells and macrophages of the immune system.
Exercise doesnt have to be all that hard or time consuming. Perhaps the more important thing
than what you do, is just making the time to do it. Mark Twain once said, Oh, I get the urge to
exercise every now and then, but I just lie down till it goes away. This may be humorous, but
the truth of the matter is that physical exercise is what we need to promote the balance and
integrity of our physiological systems. Although there is no doubt we seem to have a certain
magnetic attraction to the couch and TV, this pattern of behavior has proved to be hazardous to
our health.
1. Describe your exercise habits, including the formula for success (intensity, frequency, and
duration of exercise).
Type
Intensity
Frequency
Duration
Stretching/meditation
Walking
Low
Medium
Daily
2 non-working days
and walking around
the hospital
20 30 minutes
30 minutes, nonworking days
Not tracked time
walking around
hospital, plus 75
minutes walking
delivering cart fill
Other
54
Thai Body work

Hike/snow shoe
Medium
Medium
Skiing/major
hike
Medium/high
Once a month
Once or twice a week
depending on time
and conditions
Once a week
90 minutes
60+ minutes
6 hours
2. What are your favorite activities? If for some reason you were injured and couldnt do your
favorite activity, what would be your second option for exercise?
My favorite activities are hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, biking, kayaking, swimming, yoga,
stretching. As long as I could walk a little, I would be out walking. I would adapt my yoga
and stretching to something that I could do while injured. I could also swim. Last resort
would be doing leg and arm lifts with weights.
3. What do you do to motivate yourself when you are less than inspired to get up and out the
door? What are some additional incentives to maintain a regular exercise regimen?
When Im really tired, I tell myself Just a lap around the block or the first part of the yoga
DVD. Usually once I start, I just keep going because it feels good and I get my second or
third wind so I can finish my exercise. My incentive to having a regular exercise regimen is
that it makes me feel good. I have less panic/anxiety attacks if I exercise regularly. I also
want to get down to my ideal body weight so that I will not have to worry about health
complications of being obese when Im older. Plus when I go outside to exercise it gives me
an excuse to enjoy the outdoors and have time away from my husband and child.
4. Most people say that they cannot find the time to exercise. Considering classes, studying,
work, social obligations, and the like, it is hard to fit in everything. So the question of
priorities comes to mind. What are your priorities in terms of your health? Do you see your
perspective changing in the course of your life? Right now, what can you do to find (make)
the time to get physical exercise every day?
My priorities in terms of my health is to lose weight to get down to my ideal body weight and
to get off my antidepressant. Also I want to prevent myself from having health complications
because of obesity now and when I get older. Hopefully, once I get off my antidepressant and
get down to my ideal body weight, I will continue to maintain my exercise routine so that I
will continue to be healthy into old age. With any luck, I will be able to find more time to
exercise so that I will feel and look even better. Right now I schedule in physical exercise into
my day. It is hard with work, school, and taking care of my family, but I have to have some
time from myself and to get healthy. If that means losing a half hour of sleep so that I can do
some stretching or take a walk, then that is what I have to do. I think it is better to exercise
for 20 30 minutes to relax instead of relaxing in front of the computer or tv.
5. Sketch out a quick weekly program of exercise, including days to work out, time of day, and
activity.
Day of the week
Non-work week
Work Week
Wednesday
8:00 am 30 min. walk

followed by
stretching/meditation
Thursday
8:00 am 60 min. yoga

followed by meditation
3:00 pm 30 min. walk

followed by
Walking the hospital between
9pm and 7am
8:00 am 20 min.
55
Friday
9:00 am 60+ min. hike, bike,

snow shoe, skiing, etc.
followed by
3:00 pm 30 min. yoga and
meditation
Saturday
Sunday
3:00 pm 30 min. yoga and

meditation
Monday

followed by
Tuesday

followed by
EXERCISE
28.2
9pm and 7am

8:00 am 20 min.
9pm and 7am
8:00 am 20 min.
9pm and 7am
8:00 am 20 min.
9pm and 7am
8:00 am 20 min.
9pm and 7am
8:00 am 20 min.
9pm and 7am
My Body, My Physique
Discovering your real self means the difference between freedom and the compulsions of
conformity.
--Maxwell Maltz
One often hears in California that Nobody is ever satisfied with their hair. The same could be
said about our bodies. We receive hundreds of messages a day from the media telling us that our
physiques just arent good enough. We spend hours and hours and gobs of money altering,
complementing, adding, shifting, subtracting, and glamorizing various aspects of our bodies just
to please other people in the hopes that we too can be pleased. Hair color, eye color, body weight
(too much, too little), aerobic this, anaerobic that, add inches here, take off pounds thereit is
fair to say that few people are completely satisfied with their bodies. But it doesnt have to be
this way.
There is a strong connection between self-esteem and body image. The two go hand in hand. If
your level of self-esteem is low, so too will be your body image. In his book Psycho-Cybernetics,
Dr. Maxwell Maltz noted that many of his clients didnt seem all that much happier after receiving
nose jobs and facelifts, which led him to the realization that the real change has to take place
inside first.
So how do you feel about your body, your physique?
1. Describe your body. First list all the things you like about your body and explain why. Next, if
so inclined, make a list of things you wish to improve.
The things I like about my body is my long strong legs and my strong arms. Though I have
problems with my knees, I still like how they look and how well they hold up on my outdoor
activities. I like my arms because I am still able to pick up and hold my 8 year old daughter. I
also like my face and my eyes. Though Im pushing 40, people think Im just entering my
56
30s. I like looking young for my age. The things that I would like to improve would to get rid
of my mommy belly and some of the fat around my upper thighs. I dont like the way the
skin just sages on my stomach and would like to have thinner upper thighs that look like they
belong with the rest of my legs.
2. Do you compare yourself with others? If you do, youre not alone. Actually, this is pretty
common for both men and women, especially in college when your identity is still being
formulated: Grooming yourself for that very important first impression can take priority over
a term paper every time. So what is it you find yourself comparing with other people? Why?
The thing I compare myself with others is muscle tone of their stomachs, arms, and legs. I
would like to have more tone and less extra skin/fat. I want to look as beautiful I am on the
inside on the outside. I know that Im healthy, I just want to look it too.
3. The American public is obsessed with weight and weight gain. There is some good reason for
this because of the relationship between obesity and diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and
heart disease, but the concern has become an obsession for most people. Is your weight a
concern for you? If so, how?
Yes, my weight is a concern for me. According to my BMI, I am obese. Being obese puts me
at high risk for a lot of health problems. I want to get down to my ideal body weight so that I
am not at this risk and so that I can be as healthy as I can me. I know I have to do this
slowly and correctly so that I will not run into other health problems. Im working on it and
making progress. I just have to keep it up and soon I will only have to worry about
maintaining my healthy weight.
4. Taking to heart Maxwell Maltzs notion of making the first change within, can you think of any
perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs you can begin to alter so that changes you do make to
your physique are long-lasting ones with which you feel content?
I am good, I am worth it, and I am beautiful. These are perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs I
must believe in to lose weight. Believing that Im good enough to have a healthy body and
that Im beautiful no matter what, are things that I have come to except and the weight is
coming off. You have to believe in yourself to allow changes to happen. No matter how hard
you try to better yourself, if you do not believe and love yourself, these things will not
happen.
EXERCISE
28.3
Your Circadian Rhythms
Your body runs on a twenty-four-hour-plus clock, based on the earth spinning on its axis around
the sun. Research shows that people who keep to a regular schedule tend to be healthier (fewer
colds, flus, etc.) than those whose lifestyle behaviors tend to be more erratic, because these
tend to stress the body. In this exercise you are asked to monitor your lifestyle behaviors based
on the time of day that these occur for the period of a full week.
Week of 3/22-28
Circadian
Rhythms
1. Time
that you
Sun.
6:15 pm
Mon.
3:15 pm
Tues.
Wed.
8:00 pm
Switching
over to
57
Thurs.
5:45
am
Fri.
6:15 am
Sat.
6:30 am
awake
each
morning
2. Time
that you
go to bed
3. Time
that you
fall
asleep
4. Time
that you
eat
breakfast
5. Time
that you
eat lunch
6. Time
that you
eat
dinner
7. Times
that you
snack
8:15 am
8:30 am
9:30 am
sleeping
nights. Did
not go to
bed this
morning.
9:15 pm
9:00 am
9:00 am
10:15 am
7:45 am
8:15 am
2:30 am
8:00
pm
8:00 pm
11:00 pm
9:30 pm
8:30
pm
8:30 pm
11:00 pm
8:15 am
9:00 am
7:30
am
7:30 am
7:00 am
12:30 am
2:00 am
3:45 am
2:30
pm
12:00 pm
11:30 am
7:00 pm
5:30 pm
10:00 pm
5:30 pm
5:30
pm
5:45 pm
5:00 pm
5:15 am
9:00 pm
Water
while
working
3:30 am
4:15 am
6:45 pm
10:15 pm
11:00 pm
3:30 am
10:00 pm
Water
while
working
6:30 pm
4:00 am
Water
while
working
2:00 pm
7:30
pm
2:00 pm
10:00 pm
2:30 am
8:15 pm
10:45 pm
4:45 am
1:30 pm
6:30 pm
3:30 pm
7:00 pm
6:45 am
9:00 am
12:30 pm
7:00 pm
9. Times
that you
exercise
8 am
stretching/
meditation
8 am stretching/
meditation
8 am stretching/
meditation
8 am stretching/
meditation
2:30 pm walking
7:15 pm swimming
10.
Times
that you
have sex
11. Other
regular
activities
5:45
am
6:30
am
4:00
pm
11:15
am
Thai
Bodyw
ork
-
4:00 pm
10:30 pm
Worked
and
delivered
cart fill,
homework
Worked
and
delivered
cart fill,
homework
Worked
and
delivered
cart fill,
plus tube
was down,
homework
Worked
and
delivered
cart full,
grocery
shopping,
cleaned
house,
class
Ran
errands
,
cleaned
house,
school
work
Homework
, house
work
Homework
, house
work,
celebrating
husband
passing
CFP exam
8. Times
of bowel
moveme
nts
58
EXERCISE
28.4
My Bodys Rhythms
The body has an internal clock that runs on a twenty-four- to twenty-five-hour day. If you were
to lock yourself away from all the natural elements (sunlight, temperature fluctuations, etc.) and
the grip of technology (TVs, radios, computers, etc.), as some people have for research
purposes, your body would fall into a natural pattern, its circadian rhythm. To a large extent,
these rhythms are based on and are strongly influenced by the elements of the natural world:
the earths rotation, the gravitational pull, the earths axis, and several other influences of which
we are probably not even aware.
Other rhythms influence our bodies as well: infradian rhythms (less than twentyfour-hour cycles)
such as stomach contractions for hunger and rapid eye movement cycles, and ultradian rhythms
(more than twenty-four-hour cycles), such as menstrual periods and red blood cell formation.
As we continue to embrace the achievements of high technology and separate ourselves even
further from the reach of nature, we throw off our bodys natural rhythms. When these rhythms
are thrown off for too long a time, various organs that depend on the regularity of these rhythms
go into a state of dysfunction.
College life holds no particular order for body rhythms. You can eat dinner one day at 6:00 P.M.
and the next day at 9:30 P.M. We wont even talk about sleep! Perhaps at a young age your body
can rebound from these cyclical irregularities. More likely than not, though, regular disruptions in
the bodys rhythms will manifest quickly in various ways such as irritability, fatigue, lack of
hunger, restless sleep and insomnia, low resistance to illness, and lowered mental capacities.
1. What is your general sense of your bodys rhythms?
My bodys rhythms are slightly messed up because I work nights. Looking at my work week
and off week separately, my rhythms look pretty set. It is when you look at them together
they look messed up.
2. Do you keep to a regular schedule with regard to eating, sleeping, and exercise? Or does the
time you do these vary from day to day?
I eat breakfast and dinner about the same time no matter if Im working or not. My exercise
depends on if I am working. However, I usually sleep from about 8:30 am to 3:15 pm when
Im working and 9 pm to 6 am when Im off. My lunch is depended on when I am hungry and
what I am doing around the time lunch is to be eaten.
3. How closely are you connected with nature? Do you spend time outdoors every day? Do you
find yourself more tired, perhaps even more irritable, as we shift from autumn into winter?
Do you find yourself more energized, perhaps more positive or optimistic, as we shift from
winter to spring?
I am very connected to nature. If I could, I would spend every moment outside. However,
Im lucky to spend an hour or so outside every day. I dont get irritable shifting from autumn
to winter. I do get irritable shifting from spring to summer. I do not like the heat and it makes
me cranky. I feel more energized shifting from summer to fall. The cooling weather makes
me feel better.
59
4. If you are a woman, what is the regularity of your menstrual period? Can you identify a
pattern with your nutritional habits, stress levels, and other daily rituals that may influence
9
Unit
your menses?
In the past year my menstrual period has become pretty regular at about 28 to 30 days.
When my depression/anxiety is acting up or if Im stressed because of finals, my period is
sometimes early or late. The main thing that stress does to my menstrual period is how
heavy it is. The more stressed I am the heavier it is.
(Seaward, 2011)
Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your
Professional Life
Key Learning Point: When dealing with stress, one way to reduce stress is
to gather information about the stress so that the person has control over the
stressor or stressful event. Though most of the time gathering information
reduces stress by preventing the mind for thinking of the worse-case scenario,
sometimes the information gathered is worse than what the person thought it
would be. This causes more stress (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Hobbies help reduce stress by taking the mind off the
stressful event. Hobbies also put the body into a relaxed state with in turn
reduces the stress hormones that are circulating in the body. By setting aside or
taking oneself out of a stressful situation, the mind and body are recharged and
60
able to combat the stress better. This time-out also allows the mind to see the
stress in another prospective and a resolution can be found (Seaward, 2008).
Key Learning Point: Forgiveness is a major way to cope with stress. By

letting go of feelings about a stressful event, the toxins that are being held onto
are allowed to be released. This allows the person to feel lighter and less
stressed. Forgiveness is hard to do sometimes, but is worth it in the end.
Without the baggage of emotional stress, the body is able to heal (Seaward,
2008).
Resources: Video
Diaphragmatic Breathing, as explained in unit 6, is the best way to

breathe and promotes relaxation. Exploring Hand Therapy has a YouTube
video explaining how to do diaphragmatic breathing. The presenter goes
through the process of doing diaphragmatic breathing and why it is
important as health care practitioners that is important to get our clients
practicing this breathing style (Exploring Hand Therapy, 2009).
Tools: Audio Files
Seawards text comes with audio files for relaxation. There are four tracks
which include Mountain Lake, Progressive Muscular Relaxation, Autogenics,
and The Rainbow Meditation. The Mountain Lake and Rainbow Mediation
were used in unit 6s journal writing exercise. Progressive Muscular
Relaxation and Autogenics were not used in that assignment, however, they
should be mentioned. The Progressive Muscular Relaxation uses guided
meditation to tense and release muscle groups to promote relaxation.
Autogenics also is a guided meditation where you are sending blood around
the body to promote a relaxed state (Seaward, 2015).
61
Additional Information
Kelly McGonigal Ted Talk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend
In this Ted talk, Dr. McGonigal talks about how stress is a good thing and
thinking that it is bad causes damage to your health. This talk gives you a
different prospective on how you should think about stress.
The Social and Spiritual Effects of stress.mov:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odorbp492Ig
This video explains how to use social and spiritual relationships to deal
with stress. After explaining how to use these relationships to deal with stress,
it goes on to give coping strategies.
Learned Helplessness:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFmFOmprTt0
Charisse Nixon, Ph.D discusses the phenomenon of learned helplessness.
Doing an activity with a class of students, she proves that if given an imposable
task to do over and over again, then given an easy task, you will not be able to
do the easy task because you have learned that it is helpless to try. The activity
shows that even the brightest students can be conditioned not to do well.
Stacey Kramer Ted Talk:
http://www.ted.com/talks/stacey_kramer_the_best_gift_i_ever_survived
In this Ted talk, Stacey Kramer talks about how a brain tumor changed
her life. She explains that even the worse experiences or stressful events in
your life can bring about good. We must learn from these experiences and
cherish every moment of life.
62
References:
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2009). Coping with Stress. Retrieved
April 5, 2015 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coping-with-stress/SR00030
HealthyPeople.gov (2015). Physical Activity. Retrieved April 6, 2015 from
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/physicalactivity
Exploring Hand Therapy. (2009). Diaphragmatic Breathing. Retrieved April 6,
2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7ySGgAFAAo
Sapolsky, R. (2004). Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers. The Acclaimed Guide to
Stress, Stress-Related Disease, and Coping. New York, New York. St.
Martins Press.
Seaward, B. (2008). MANAGING STRESS 6E VITALBOOKS, 6th Edition. Jones &
Bartlett Learning, VitalBook file.
Seaward, B. (2015). MANAGING STRESS 6E VITALBOOKS, 6th Edition. Audio
Files. Retrieved April 6, 2015 from
http://health.jbpub.com/managingstress/6e/audio.cfm?track=D74F3884869F-4BEF-B8CC-9608B4BFDA98
Seaward, B. (2011). The Art of Peace and Relaxation Workbook, 7th Edition.
Jones & Bartlett Learning. VitalBook file.
USDA. (2015). ChooseMyPlate.gov. Retrieved April 6, 2015 from
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
63

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KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Stress Management and Prevention

PROF ESSI ONAL

INF ORM ATIO N.

(This page intentionally left blank)

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Key Learning Point: The Yerkes-Dodson Principle explains that we need

HW410: Unit 1 Exercises

The Wellness Paradigm

College Students Daily

Coping with roommates,

Girlfriend, boyfriend issues

Balancing work, school, and

Part III: Additional comments you wish to make:

Tools: Journal Writing:

HW410: Unit 1 Journal Writing Assignment

1.1 Are You Stressed?

1. I have a hard time falling asleep at night.

I wish that my life had a clear meaning and purpose.

Stress Level Key

a low level of stress and maintain good coping skills.

Paramount Wellness Institute. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

A Good Nights Sleep

Personal Stress Inventory:

Finding time for

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Key Learning Point: Stress related nervous system disorders include

HW410: Unit 2 Exercise

Immediate, Intermediate, and

As noted in Chapter 2, the stress response has immediate (seconds), intermediate

c. Muscle tension (e.g., jaw muscles)

d. Rapid heart rate

e. Rapid breathing (or holding your breath)

Rush of blood to your face and neck (blushing)

c. Sore neck and shoulders

h. Other: Lower back pain

c. Herpes flare-up (around lips)

d. Menstrual period irregularities

e. Other: Continued fatigue

Other: Continued back and shoulder pain/tension

g. Other: Continued emotional state; moody, sometime angry

Tools: Journal Writing:

HW410: Unit 2 Journal Writing Assignment

2.1 Stress Physiology Review

Paramount Wellness Institute. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

3.1 Physical Symptoms

3. Muscle tension (neck and/or shoulders)

4. Muscle tension (lower back)

12. Ulcer flare-up

13. Asthma attack

15. Canker/cold sores

16. Dizzy spells

17. Heart palpitations (racing heart)

18. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD)

25. Frequent accidents

(Please specify: _______________________)

Dental status: excellent

Skin condition: good

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Key Learning Point: People are made up of different stress personalities

Stress-resistant personalities include hardy, survivor, and type R. People can

HW410: Unit 3 Exercises